Violence prevention

Primary prevention of violence

Primary prevention aims to prevent acts of violence before they occur by targeting the social norms and structures that enable and create a culture of tolerance towards sexual violence and family violence.

The term primary prevention comes from public health and is one part of a three-part system of prevention, alongside secondary and tertiary prevention. Secondary prevention focuses on reducing harm for those who have been identified as “at risk” while tertiary forms of prevention aim to prevent continued harm after violence has already happened.

Preventing sexual violence and family violence requires an interconnected approach and multiple strategies to challenge harmful social norms and behaviours, and build knowledge and skills. Prevention at the individual level can strengthen individual knowledge and skills, whereas at a community level, efforts promote community ownership of the issue. Some of the most common types of prevention in Aotearoa New Zealand are community mobilisation, direct participant programmes, activism, social marketing and awareness raising. Primary prevention can therefore be seen as a system of interconnected parts made up of specific initiatives, funders, kaimahi, providers, communities, groups, leaders, and policies. Violence prevention initiatives can use different delivery methods to achieve change.

Key Resources

Hagen, P., Tangaere, A., Beaton, S., Hadrup, A., Taniwha-Paoo, R., Te Whiu, D. 2021. Designing for equity and intergenerational wellbeing: Te Tokoturu. Innovation Brief. The Auckland Co-Design Lab. The Southern Initiative, Auckland Council.

Our Watch. 2021. Change the story: A shared framework for the primary prevention of violence against women in Australia (2nd ed.). Melbourne, Australia.

World Health Organization. 2022 Violence Prevention Unit: Approach, objectives and activities.

Moore, D., Esplin, J., Hambling, T., Rippon R., Gammon, R. 2020. Sexual violence prevention initiatives for disabled people in New Zealand.

Mati, E., Taufa, Komiti, A. M. M. 2019. Preventing violence for Pasifika young people: Webinar. TOAH NNEST Tauiwi Prevention Webinar Series.

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Kaupapa Māori approaches to preventing violence

There is no standalone concept of ‘prevention’ in tikanga Māori. Rather, there are tikanga for looking after our whānau and communities that can guide primary prevention approaches.

Māori prevention and interventions need to be holistic, provided within a tikanga Māori framework, and inclusive of the historical and current impacts of colonisation.

Primary prevention for Māori reframes sexual violence and family violence from the problem to the desired outcome – healthy, mana enhancing and tapu enriched relationships and healthy communities. Kaupapa Māori prevention therefore should include a multi-level approach that works towards ending sexual violence and family violence but, primarily, towards building and supporting mana enhancing and tapu enriched relationships. 

Primary prevention approaches for Māori can be systemic and holistic (rather than reductionist), collectivist (rather than individual), and relational (focus not on individual thinking or behaviour, but on existential, social, and cultural aspects related to connections with others and the environment). 

Resources

Dobbs, T., & Eurera, M. 2014. Kaupapa Māori wellbeing framework:  the basis for whānau violence prevention and intervention. New Zealand Family Violence Issues Paper.

Wilson, D. 2023. Violence within whānau and mahi tūkino – A litany of sound revisited. Te Pūkotahitanga – Tangata Whenua Advisory Group for the Minister of
the Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence.

Dobbs, T. 2021. Te Ao Kohatu – Principled framing of best practice with mokopuna Māori: A literature review of theoretical and practice frameworks for mokopuna and whānau wellbeing. Wellington, New Zealand: Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children.

Cavino, H. M. 2016. Intergenerational sexual violence and Whanau in Aotearoa/New Zealand - pedagogies of contextualisation and transformation. Sexual Abuse in Australia and New Zealand, 7(1), 4–17.

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Gender transformative approaches to violence prevention

Gender transformative approaches to primary prevention recognise that gender inequality plays a foundational role in driving violence against women and girls. They identify, challenge and seek to transform rigid prescriptive gendered norms, systems and structures that can support men’s violence against women.

These approaches include a range of interventions from direct participation programmes to social marketing campaigns and initiatives with organisations and communities. They are often associated with efforts to engage men and boys as part of the solution to preventing gendered violence.

Gender transformative approaches are used in many parts of the world and usually emphasise the importance of an intersectional lens that attends to the diversity of people’s experiences. This means addressing other forms of oppression and discrimination, and power and privilege, alongside gender.

Prevention specialists who agree on the relevance of gender inequality to the pervasive and entrenched problem of violence against women, nevertheless debate how best to prevent it. Some advocate for a whole population focus on challenging social norms and promoting gender justice. Others argue that while gender equality is necessary to the prevention of gendered violence, it is not sufficient, and prevention priorities must be multi-pronged and targeted.

Resources

Baker, G. (2013). Effectively involving men in preventing violence against women. Auckland, New Zealand: New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, University of Auckland.

Campaign for Action on Family Violence: Framework for Change 2019-2023. (2020). Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Social Development.

Gavey, N., Calder-Dawe, O., Taylor, K., Le Grice, J.,Thorburn, B., Manuela, S., Dudley, M., Panditharatne, S., Ross, R., & Carr,A. (2021). Shifting the Line: Boys talk on gender, sexism and online ethics. Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland: Te Kura Mātai Hinengaro | School of Psychology, TeWhare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau | The University of Auckland.

Hill, J. & Salter, M. (2024). Rethinking primary prevention. Substack.

Our Watch. (2021). Change the story: A shared framework for the primary prevention of violence against women in Australia (2nd ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Our Watch.

Flood, M. (2024). Effective Practice in Violence Prevention Education with Boys and Young Men. Brisbane: Queensland University of Technology.