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Violence Prevention

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What is Violence Prevention?

Violence Prevention is a coordinated and evidence based approach to stopping a range of violent acts against individuals and groups. This is done through a Public Health Approach and involves a range of partners.

The UK Government identified 18 areas with high violence and set up violence reduction units in 2019. In Wales, there is one area that was identified, which is the South Wales Police Force area, covering the local authority areas of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff. The Violence Prevention Unit involves a team drawn from Police, Police and Crime Commissioners Office, Public Health Wales, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, Home Office and the third sector.

The support, projects, programmes, and research that the Violence Prevention Unit are delivering is all available from the website https://www.violencepreventionwales.co.uk/. Because the funding is linked to the violence reduction unit areas, the delivery of interventions are focused on South Wales. However, there is a wider focus on the whole of Wales in regards to policy development.

The Wales Safer Communities Network and the Violence Prevention Unit are working together to support the development of Wales guidance to deliver the Violence Prevention Duty that is anticipated as part of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill which is currently progressing through the UK Government processes.

For information on all of what can constitute violence please see VAWDASV, Serious Violence and Organised Crime, Modern Slavery and Exploitation, and Crime and Crime Prevention topics.

The different violent activities that may be undertaken are covered under the different laws and legislation that are listed under the different topics. Please see VAWDASV, Serious Violence and Organised Crime, Modern Slavery and Exploitation, and Crime and Crime Prevention topics for those details.


Help and Support

For victims, families and concerned people

If you’ve witnessed or been the victim of crime, please report it to the Police. Call 101 or report it online depending on your region of Wales – South Wales Police, Dyfed Powys Police, Gwent Police or North Wales Police. In an emergency, call 999.

If you’re deaf or hard of hearing, use the Police textphone service 18000 or text on 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergency SMS service.

If you have information about crime and wish to remain anonymous, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.

If you’ve been affected by crime, you can access support from Victim Support, including via their national support line for free on 08 08 16 89 111, 24/7 or get support online.

For help and support for the different types of violent crime please see VVAWDASV, Serious Violence and Organised Crime, Modern Slavery and Exploitation, and Crime and Crime Prevention topics.

For information about the Violence Prevention Unit and the work and changes that it is bring about please visit their website.