Building a Wales without violence: Using behavioural science to implement a public health approach

This article is related directly to the Seventh International Conference on Law Enforcement & Public Health (LEPH) held in Ottawa, Canada in July 2025.

Abstract

Violence among children and young people is preventable through a public health approach. However, there remains a scarcity of knowledge about its implementation to effect system-level change for violence prevention and the range of public health actions available to support it. This article describes how the Wales Violence Prevention Team (VPT), Public Health Wales, applied behavioural science to inform the implementation of Wales Without Violence – a co-produced framework for preventing violence among children and young people. Using the capability, opportunity, motivation, behaviour model, the VPT engaged professionals across sectors to identify the behaviours, barriers, and facilitators for embedding the framework’s nine violence prevention principles. The process enabled an exploration of the support needed to enhance professionals’ capability, opportunity, and motivation for adopting a public health approach to violence prevention. The application of behavioural science to explore barriers and support needs for professionals involved in violence prevention also supported the VPT in clarifying its own role within the violence prevention landscape in Wales to maximize its resources. This article provides insights for advancing violence prevention activity through a public health approach.