Violence Prevention Forum: What is violence prevention? A new definition

The Violence Prevention Forum (VPF) developed a shared definition of violence prevention in 2021 through a collaborative process involving government, NGOs, researchers, and the private sector. The resulting definition describes violence prevention as "the whole of society working deliberately and sustainably to remove sources of harm and inequality, and heal woundedness, by intentionally growing an ethic of mutual care, respect and inclusion to build peace." The VPF emphasizes that preventing violence requires addressing structural causes such as poverty, racism, and inequality, and advocates for a "whole-of-society approach" that is accessible across all 11 official South African languages.

• The Violence Prevention Forum (VPF) established a shared definition of violence prevention: "the whole of society working deliberately and sustainably to remove sources of harm and inequality, and heal woundedness, by intentionally growing an ethic of mutual care, respect and inclusion to build peace."
• The development of this definition was a multisectoral process involving representatives from government departments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), academia, international organisations, development partners, donors, the private sector, and children.
• The VPF identifies that effective violence prevention must address deeply rooted structural drivers, specifically poverty, inequality, racism, and prejudice.
• The definition was designed based on specific principles to ensure it is accessible and proactive, including the use of non-violent, jargon-free language and a "whole-of-society approach."
• The shared definition is intended to serve as a foundation for advocacy, policy development, and the creation of indicators to measure the success of interventions across South Africa.
• To ensure maximum accessibility, the VPF intends to make the definition available in sign language and all 11 of South Africa's official languages, with a specific version developed by and for children.

APA

Mazibuko, A., Gould, C., Shai, N., Jacobs, T., Ryan, J., Amisi, M., Miller, S., Mchuchu, T., Watson, P., Machabaphala, T., Hlongwane, R., Mafico, M., Mzaku, T., Moeketsi, J., Rozentals-Thresher, R., Chimede, S., Nabo, N., & Moruane, S. (2022). Violence Prevention Forum: What is violence prevention? A new definition. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PB-169-01.pdf

Chicago

Mazibuko, Ayanda, Chandré Gould, Nwabisa Shai, Tanya Jacobs, Jill Ryan, Matodzi Amisi, Stephen Miller, et al. Violence Prevention Forum: What is violence prevention? A new definition. Institute for Security Studies, 2022. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PB-169-01.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{mazibuko2022violence, author = {Mazibuko, Ayanda and Gould, Chandré and Shai, Nwabisa and Jacobs, Tanya and Ryan, Jill and Amisi, Matodzi and Miller, Stephen and Mchuchu, Tarisai and Watson, Patricia and Machabaphala, Tshepiso and Hlongwane, Ronelle and Mafico, Muriel and Mzaku, Thamsanqa and Moeketsi, Joan and Rozentals-Thresher, Rachel and Chimede, Shamiso and Nabo, Nomsa and Moruane, Sinah}, title = {{Violence Prevention Forum: What is violence prevention? A new definition}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2022}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PB-169-01.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }