Social Development and Public Governance > Social Development > Violence Prevention
The IDB's Approach
The following principles guide IDB actions to reduce violence:
- Violence is in large part a learned behavior, and one of the earliest opportunities for an individual to observe and learn violent responses is in the home. Domestic violence, in other words, is intimately linked to social violence. Thus, while domestic violence is deserving of attention in its own right, Bank efforts to reduce social violence also incorporate actions to reduce domestic violence in order to maximize project impact.
- Programs emphasize the prevention of violence rather than treatment of its symptoms, largely because prevention measures are generally more cost effective. At the same time, it must be recognized that prevention and treatment are not either/or options; rather, they are located along a policy continuum.
- Both comprehensive, multi-sectoral interventions and interventions targeted at specific risk factors are appropriate policy responses to violence. The advantage of simultaneously addressing multiple risk factors must be weighed against greater cost and more complex implementation.
- The design of projects to reduce violence must be participatory and involve all sectors of society, including national and local governments, non-governmental organizations and other representatives of civil society.
Last updated: 01/16/07
