On the eve of White Ribbon Day, Napo hosted Professor Kieran McCartan for a timely and challenging conversation on the future of preventing violence against women and girls — and why the justice sector needs to rethink its entire approach.
Kieran began by unpicking familiar language. The term “violence”, he argued, can unintentionally narrow our focus to physical harm, when gender-based abuse is often emotional, financial, coercive or rooted in long-term patterns of control. Broadening the frame helps us better recognise the full spectrum of abuse and centres victims’ experiences rather than the most extreme behaviours.
While women and girls remain overwhelmingly the victims of male violence, Kieran stressed the importance of including boys and young men in the conversation without diluting the core truth: this is fundamentally a men’s issue. “Men must own their role in this,” he argued. “Not defensively, but meaningfully.” Shifting the culture requires their active participation.
The session examined how abuse now moves seamlessly between online and offline spaces, especially for younger generations, making prevention far more complex. Kieran also challenged the common claim that violence is simply “increasing”. Instead, he suggested that awareness, confidence in reporting and visibility have grown and that society is finally recognising behaviours long kept hidden.
For probation, the message was clear: we need to look beyond the index offence. Harm is shaped by a person’s biology, psychology, relationships, community and social environment — and supporting change means understanding that whole life course. That’s where an epidemiological criminology (EpiCrim) approach comes in, shifting the focus from managing risk for people to supporting them to manage risk themselves, while engaging communities in prevention.
One Response
Such an important discussion! Broadening the focus beyond physical violence and involving communities in prevention really highlights how we can tackle abuse more effectively. Awareness and education are key.
SheMed