Global research priorities for interpersonal violence prevention: a modified Delphi study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Sciences
• Criminology

Background:

• Interpersonal violence is a significant global public health issue.
• Effective prevention strategies require ongoing research and evidence-based approaches.
• Previous research has not definitively established priorities for future violence prevention efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically establish global research priorities for interpersonal violence prevention.
• To identify key areas for future research in violence prevention using a public health framework.
• To guide funding and research efforts towards the most impactful interventions.

Main Methods:

• A three-round Delphi process involving global experts in violence prevention.
• Round 1: Experts proposed research questions. Round 2: Experts ranked the importance of research steps within the public health approach.
• Round 3: Experts prioritized detailed research questions within the highest-ranked public health step.

Main Results:

• Developing, implementing, and evaluating interventions received the highest priority for most violence types (child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, armed violence, sexual violence).
• Scaling up interventions and evaluating cost-effectiveness was ranked lowest across all violence types.
• Research on interventions related to parenting and firearm regulation laws was highly prioritized.

Conclusions:

• It is premature to scale up existing violence prevention interventions.
• Future funding should prioritize the development and evaluation of smaller-scale interventions.
• Further research is needed to refine and validate interventions before widespread implementation.