There has been a wide range of research looking at individual and collective drivers for violence perpetration and victimization. However, a lot less is understood about what approaches and interventions can reduce the likelihood of violence occurring, especially through a healthcare lens.

The NHS Violence Reduction Academy has been developing an evidence base to illustrate the kind of models of care currently in place that support adolescent victims of violence. Much of the work up to now has sat in a tertiary prevention space (such as emergency departments) but more recently there has been focus on primary prevention models that could avoid violence from occurring in the first place.

This talk will cover examples of health-based violence reduction and what the evidence base tells us about these innovative models of care.

Learning outcomes

1. To appreciate the health burden of violence on the health service, and society as a whole, and to understand the strategic response taken by the NHS.
2. The understand the four key typologies of health-based violence reduction.
3. To explore the evidence base for these four key typologies.
4. To reflect on implications for future practice.

About the speakers

Michael Carver is the Clinical Lead for the NHS London Violence Reduction Academy, which aims to evaluate and develop the evidence for health-based violence reduction in the UK. The Academy developed their first evaluation report on health-based interventions for violence affecting young people aged 11-25 in collaboration with QMUL, which is due for public release in November. Michael has a clinical background of emergency nursing, having worked in the Royal London Hospital Emergency Department since 2012. Michael is currently writing up his doctorate, looking at psychosocial risk factors in adolescents at risk of violent injury, which will be completed Spring 2025.