Professor Susan McVie co-authors new book on public health approaches to violence reduction

Professor Susan McVie has co-authored a new open-access book examining the emergence, impact and limitations of the public health approach to violence reduction in the UK.

The book, The Public Health Approach to Violence Reduction, is based on a four-year, multi-method study conducted by an interdisciplinary research team led by Alistair Fraser, Luke Billingham, Fern Gillon, Keir Irwin-Rogers, Susan McVie and Tim Newburn.

The public health approach to violence reduction prioritises early intervention and holistic support to prevent violence before it occurs. Its perceived success in Scotland has influenced policy across the UK, contributing to the establishment of more than 20 Violence Reduction Units in England and Wales and over £200 million in funding for evidence-based interventions.

Drawing on 190 interviews with professionals working in violence reduction, the book provides an in-depth empirical analysis of how the public health approach operates in practice. Using Scotland as a central case study, it traces how the approach has evolved across different levels of policymaking and critically examines claims about its effectiveness.

The authors argue that the public health approach to violence reduction is not a single, fixed model, but a collection of principles, practices and narratives that shift as they are applied in different contexts. Informed by insights from young people directly affected by violence, the book makes the case for grounding policy in everyday lived experience and offers a roadmap for future approaches rooted in community realities.

The book is available to download for free.

The Public Health Approach to Violence Reduction: Stories, Movements, and Hope | Oxford Academic