Understanding primary prevention

Primary prevention aims to stop violence before it starts. Primary prevention approaches work across communities, organisations and society as a whole to address the deep, underlying drivers of violence against women (related to gender inequality), so that violence does not happen at all. Some primary prevention strategies focus on changing behaviour and/or building the knowledge and skills of individuals.

If you think of the way in which efforts and resources have been moved to focus on creating awareness and educating the community on the impact of smoking, not wearing sunscreen or hats, or driver safety with seatbelts and the use of mobile phones - that’s similar to what the project was trying to achieve. Violence against women is preventable and the evidence on proven and promising approaches to prevention is growing. Australia’s national framework to prevent violence against women, Change the Story, outlines the characteristics of effective or promising practice, and of less effective or harmful practice (Our Watch et al. 2015), and principles for the effective implementation of prevention techniques (Our Watch et al. 2015). Examples of effective primary prevention programs include:

• Primary and secondary schools teaching boys and girls about respectful relationships • Workplaces, sporting clubs and other community groups educating their members about gender equity and DFV

Change the Story is a long term framework to end violence against women. Released in 2015 and based on extensive research, it sets out essential action to bring about the social and cultural change needed to end violence against women.

Understanding prevention

Tertiary

Secondary

Primary

• Tertiary prevention. Supports survivors and holds perpetrators to account (and aims to prevent the reoccurence of violence)

• Secondary prevention. Aims to ‘change the trajectory’ for individuals at higherthan-average risk of perpetrating or experiencing violence

• Primary prevention. Wholeof-population initiatives that address the primary (‘first’ or underlying) drivers of violence

Project Pillars

Organisational change

Creating an equitable and respectful workplace within Council.

Sector engagement

Collaborating with businesses, organisations, educational institutions, and sporting clubs across Wagga Wagga.

Community-wide campaigns

Engaging with Wagga Wagga residents of all demographics.