Strengthening Systems to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence

Over the past 25 years, developing coordinated responses to intimate partner violence and sexual violence has improved both perpetrator accountability, and victim safety and self-determination. However, preventing intimate partner violence and sexual violence from occurring is beyond the ability of any one type of organization. Preventing this violence requires a network of individuals, groups and organizations who coordinate and assess their efforts on an ongoing basis.

This volume provides theoretical and practical guidance for the development of state and local prevention systems that hold the potential to eliminate persistent social problems. The development of prevention systems was informed by the data-driven public health model, systems theory and the ecological systems perspective. Strengthening Systems to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence offers guidance on how to gain participation of the right partners in developing a prevention system, and how to focus the work of that system on the critical areas of planning, implementation and capacity building. The guidance, resources and experience shared in this important collection will be invaluable to all those working towards the prevention of intimate partner violence and sexual violence.

This book is based on a special issue of the Journal of Family Social Work.

Pamela J. Cox is a behavioural scientist within the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Sandra Ortega is an Independent Consultant for Ohio’s DELTA and RPE projects. She conducts program evaluation in education, health and human services throughout the State of Ohio, USA.

Patricia Cook-Craig is Associate Professor in the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA. Her research interests include evaluation of violence prevention planning processes and intervention strategies.

Pat Conway is a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Pathology at the Essentia Institute of Rural Health in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. She is Editor of the Journal of Family Social Work.

Theresa Armstead is a behavioural scientist within the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.