Preventing violence

What is violence?

WHO defines violence as the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, mal-development or deprivation.

What is the link between violence against women and mental health?

Intimate partner violence is responsible for more ill-health and premature death in Victorian women under the age of 45 than any other of the well-known risk factors, including high blood pressure, obesity and smoking; 58% of the health impact experienced by women is anxiety and depression.

VicHealth has developed a public health model for the prevention of violence against women, which classifies interventions as primary, early intervention and intervention.

Projects

• National Community Attitudes Survey 2009
• Respect, Responsibility & Equality: Preventing Violence Against Women Program Phase II. Funded projects 2008 (PDF)
• AFL Violence Against Women Project 
• Respect, Responsibilty and Equality: Preventing Violence Against Women Program. Funded projects 2007 (PDF) 
• VicHealth partnership activity to prevent violence against women (PDF)

Research

• Preventing Violence Before it Occurs 
• Violence Against Women: Community Attitudes Survey 
• Intimate partner violence
• CALD Violence Against Women Project
• MOSAIC (community intervention trial) 
• Review of links between interventions to reduce alcohol-related interpersonal violence