This policy brief presents an analysis of six factors that stand in the way of effectively preventing
interpersonal violence in South Africa, and suggests how they might be overcome. It is a product of the Dialogue Forum for evidence-based programmes to prevent violence against women and children. The forum is a multi-sectoral group of researchers, community based organisations delivering evidence-based primary violence prevention interventions, government officials from seven departments and international development partners. This policy brief explores these factors
and suggests how they might be overcome. In doing so we haven’t addressed the critical and essential efforts that focus on reducing unemployment, poverty and inequality. These are the focus of a range of existing policies, actions and interventions in South Africa. Here we are concerned specifically with factors that stand in the way of preventing interpersonal violence. These are: A lack of coherence and agreement about what constitutes violence prevention and a lack of knowledge about existing violence prevention interventions and programmes.
