Applying the Public Health Approach to Prevent Targeted Violence in the United States

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Violence Prevention
• National Security

Background:

• Targeted violence poses significant risks to individual and community well-being.
• It is recognized as both a national security threat and a public health problem.

Purpose of the Study:

• To illustrate the application of the four-step public health approach to violence prevention for targeted violence.
• To identify shared risk and protective factors between general violence/suicide and targeted violence.
• To highlight research gaps and promising prevention strategies for targeted violence.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review comparing violence and suicide prevention literature with targeted violence literature.
• Identification of shared risk and protective factors.
• Analysis of existing public health models and data systems.

Main Results:

• Identified 20 shared risk and protective factors.
• Highlighted evidence-based prevention approaches applicable to targeted violence.
• Suggested research focus areas for advancing targeted violence prevention.

Conclusions:

• The public health approach offers a framework for primary prevention of targeted violence.
• Integrating efforts across agencies like the CDC and DHS can build a robust violence prevention infrastructure.
• This approach can bridge scientific research and practical action for multiple forms of violence.