Violence is a global public health concern. Violence is defined as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation" (World Health Organization, 2002). Violence can include child abuse and neglect, bullying and cyberbullying, teen dating violence, youth physical fighting and weapon carrying, adult intimate partner violence, sexual violence, violent crime (e.g., homicides, aggravated assault, criminal sexual assault, robbery), and abuse against older adults and adults with disabilities. People are exposed to violence within their homes, at school or work, and in their communities.
In Illinois, violence is prevalent. For example:
- Rates of child maltreatment are higher in Illinois than national rates (2018-2021)
- About 12% of high school youth have experienced sexual violence (2019-2021)
- 1 in 3 youth in 6th to 12th grades report experiencing a form of bullying, and 1 in 5 report having been in a physical fight in the past 12 months (2018-2022)
- In 2020 and 2021, Illinois saw an increase in the firearm mortality rate
Across these rates of violence in Illinois, disparities exist for minoritized groups. For example, Black or African American men who are between the ages of 15-34 faced significant disparities in rates of experiencing gun violence and violent offenses. Also, transgendera and gender expansiveb youth reported substantially higher rates of violence compared to male and female youth. Societal inequities result from oppression and discrimination, and these inequities result in limited economic opportunities, a disinvestment in education, fewer social services, fewer affordable and quality housing options, and systemic racism, all of which can increase the likelihood of experiencing violence and trauma (Armstead et al., 2021).
Due to the high prevalence of violence, and the persistent disparities, violence is seen as an epidemic impacting our state and our society. Violence prevention efforts are crucial so that we can reduce rates of violence and prevent future violence. Additionally, work is needed to address societal inequities to prevent violence and begin the healing process (i.e., healing-centered care) in communities impacted by these persistent inequities.
Creation of a Statewide Violence Prevention Plan
The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) is a state agency whose mission is to improve the administration of justice in Illinois. ICJIA brings together key leaders from the justice system and the public to identify critical issues facing the justice system in Illinois, and to propose and evaluate policies, programs, and legislation that address those issues. ICJIA aims to continue funding and supporting violence prevention efforts across Illinois. In 2020, ICJIA's authorizing statue included the requirement of a four-year statewide violence prevention plan:
To coordinate statewide violence prevention efforts and assist in the implementation of trauma recovery centers and analyze trauma recovery services, the Authority shall develop, publish, and facilitate the implementation of a 4-year statewide violence prevention plan, which shall incorporate public health, public safety, victim services, and trauma recovery centers and services. 20 ILCS 3930/7(x)
The first four-year Statewide Violence Prevention Plan was released in 2021. Since then, a variety of implementation, research, and activities have taken place. ICJIA created the Violence Prevention Ad Hoc Committee, a group that convenes quarterly under the ICJIA Board. This committee meets to coordinate violence prevention funding in Illinois, share updates and resources, and stay informed about partnerships and opportunities.
The current report was written to inform ICJIA's violence prevention planning for the next four years (2025-2029). Also, this report was written for any state or community group interested in violence prevention efforts or in developing their own localized plan. This report utilizes a public health approach to violence prevention.
The Public Health Framework
Evidence-informed violence prevention efforts utilize a public health framework to prevent violence. This approach is grounded in the scientific method and includes four steps (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC, 2024):
Define and monitor the problem
Understanding who experiences violence, as well as when and where it occurs, is the first step in preventing violence. Data can help us understand the prevalence of violence, where it occurs, trends in violence rates over time, and who it impacts. In defining violence, it is also critical to find appropriate, validated measurements.
Identify risk and protective factors
We need to understand what factors protect individuals from experiencing or perpetrating violence, and what factors place individuals at greater risk for victimization or perpetration. These factors can help providers know where to focus violence prevention efforts.
Develop and test prevention strategies
Prevention efforts are developed and modified based on community needs, practitioner and organizational expertise and experience, and participant, stakeholder, and collaborator feedback. Once prevention strategies are developed or identified for implementation, strategies should be evaluated to ensure they are effective. Evidence-based practices are vital to ensure programs are doing what they set out to do.
Assure widespread adoption
Communities are encouraged to implement evidence-based programs. Additionally, they should continually assess if the strategy is a good match for their participants or community area, evaluating any adaptations or changes. The growing evidence-base for violence prevention practices will fuel widespread adoption of evidence-based strategies.
Social-Ecological Model and Prevention Strategies
Within the public health approach, further guidance is provided to organize strategies for better synergy. This guidance includes utilizing the social-ecological model to examine risk and protective factors, as well as providing organization for prevention strategies based on when and to whom services are targeted. The social-ecological model is a framework for understanding where to target violence prevention efforts, including addressing factors at the individual, relational, community, or society level.
Violence prevention efforts aim to decrease risks (i.e., factors that place individuals at a higher risk for violence victimization or perpetration) and strengthen protection (i.e., factors that protect individuals from experiencing or perpetrating violence). Risk and protective factors exist at various levels of the social-ecological model, including individual, relational, community, and societal factors (CDC, 2019; Wilkins et al., 2014). Comprehensive efforts that address prevention across multiple levels of the social-ecological model are more sustainable and can have more of a long-term impact. Thus, violence prevention efforts should aim to address factors across the social-ecological model whenever possible.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have urged researchers to consider how multiple forms of violence can share many of the same risk and protective factors (Wilkins et al., 2014). By considering these shared factors, programs can be expanded or enhanced to prevent multiple forms of violence.
Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Prevention
Violence prevention efforts can also be organized by when they take place and who is the focus of prevention efforts (CDC, 2019):
- Primary prevention is considered universal, occurring for an entire population; primary prevention efforts take place before violence occurs
- Secondary prevention is considered selected, or focused on those with one or more risk factors for violence. Secondary prevention efforts take place immediately after violence occurs, or interventions occur when violence is about to occur
- Tertiary prevention is considered indicated, or efforts for those who have already experienced or perpetrated violence. Tertiary prevention efforts, or long-term recovery services and supports, occur after violence has occurred
Health Equity
Finally, a public health approach aims to achieve health equity (i.e., all people have the opportunity to attain their highest level of health; (CDC, 2019). By addressing systemic inequities in social and healthcare systems, like increasing access to affordable housing, income, education, and healthcare, we can reduce the risk of violence that is associated with these inequities. Thus, in aims to achieve health equity, collective work is needed from all sectors, stakeholders, and policymakers.