New strategy to cut violence outlined

The Scottish Government has unveiled a new violence strategy, continuing funding for a project designed to help people with complex needs.

Public safety minister Siobhian Brown launched the strategy on Wednesday during a visit to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

Among the initiatives touted by the strategy is the Medics Against Violence Navigator project, which places staff in hospitals in a bid to help people suffering from multiple complex needs – including mental health, addiction, abuse or financial issues.

Support workers as part of the project work with people in A&E as well as after they are discharged.

The Navigator programme has also led to a similar pilot project for young people, and lessons learned from it have been utilised in police custody settings.

Scotland’s approach to violence has been vaunted across the world, led by the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), which has seen hospital admissions due to assault drop by 72% between 2008-09 and 2021-22.

Ms Brown said: “Violence and the threat of violence is a complex issue that, if not tackled, can escalate and cause harm, affecting society for generations.

“It can affect anyone, anywhere – but it does not affect people and communities equally.

“Poverty and inequalities increase the likelihood of both becoming a victim of violence and of becoming involved in such offending – which is why our vision for justice emphasises the importance of the wider public health approach to continuing to cut crime.

“For a decade-and-a-half we have made significant strides in reducing violence, and this new framework can take us further, ensuring that everyone plays their part in preventing violence wherever it persists.

“This first co-ordinated action plan of its kind in Scotland will support a national partnership approach, backed by investment and an ambitious programme of work, to prevent violence from happening in the first place – ensuring more people and communities are able to live safer lives, free from violence.”

Christine Goodall, one of the founders of Medics Against Violence, said the body is “delighted” to see the launch of the violence prevention framework.

She added: “The framework sets out what we can all do working in partnership with colleagues and communities across Scotland to continue to drive forward the violence prevention agenda.

“These are challenging times and while it is vital that we continue to innovate in terms of violence prevention, we should also seek out evidence of what already works to put that into practice at scale wherever possible.

“Central to this should be the voices of the individuals and communities most impacted by violence because in understanding violence from their perspective we will find sustainable solutions.”

Will Linden, deputy director of the VRU, said the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis had created “enormous pressure for some of our most vulnerable communities”.

He added: “We must listen to those affected, address the causes of violence, and follow the evidence to provide innovative solutions.

“No one agency can do this on their own, so the national Violence Prevention Framework is an important opportunity for us to pull together and create a safe and resilient Scotland where we can all thrive.”