Where is public health? Violence prevention needs the discipline, not just the language

Violence prevention sits at the intersection of multiple systems, of which criminal justice has historically been the primary response. Yet violence is predictable and preventable. It has root causes that can be addressed long before harm occurs, and it creates profound health inequalities across the life-course. This Commentary examines the gap between the adoption of public health language in violence prevention policy and practice and the embedding of the public health approach itself. Drawing on two major books from a four-year Economic and Social Research Council funded study of the UK Violence Reduction Unit programme, national policy documents, and international evidence, we argue that the language of public health has entered the field, but the discipline itself has not. Recognising violence as a public health issue is an important first step, but it is only meaningful when it leads to system-wide investment in public health infrastructure, workforce, and governance. Without that shift, the recognition remains theoretical rather than practical. We call on the discipline of public health to claim violence prevention as core business, and on the wider field to advocate for its inclusion.