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This is the fourth in a series of blog posts from Public Health Wales’ Violence Prevention Programme Lead, Lara Snowdon, reflecting on the UK Government’s Safer Streets Mission and how this supports violence prevention in Wales.
Violence affects communities across Wales every day. But what if we could cut violence rates in half within a decade? What if we could protect thousands of children from experiencing abuse? These aren’t just hopeful questions – they’re achievements already demonstrated by countries taking comprehensive public health approaches to violence prevention.
As Wales develops its own violence prevention approach, we can learn from both the successes and ongoing efforts of countries around the world. Some have achieved remarkable population-level reductions in violence within 10 years. Others are in earlier stages of implementation, offering valuable lessons about the challenges and time required for systemic change.
In 2010, Kenya did something crucial: they measured the problem. Their national Violence Against Children Survey (VACS) revealed a crisis – over 80% of children experienced violence, with one in three girls and nearly one in five boys experiencing childhood sexual violence UNICEF Kenya. (2020).
Kenya didn’t accept this as inevitable. They used the data to drive a comprehensive national response that transformed how the country protects children. Constitutional reforms strengthened children’s rights. New laws banned female genital mutilation, set minimum marriage ages, and established domestic violence protections. They established National Child Protection Systems coordinating from national level right down to communities. Integrated response centres were set up in healthcare facilities across the country with standardised procedures for child-centred care (Annor et al., 2022).
Then in 2019, Kenya measured again. The second VACS showed childhood sexual violence had been cut in half for girls and reduced by two-thirds for boys. Physical violence decreased by over 40%. Millions of children protected from violence in less than a decade (UNICEF Kenya, 2020).
Kenya is one of only three countries globally (alongside Zimbabwe and Eswatini) to demonstrate this kind of measurable, population-level impact through repeat national surveys (Chian et al., 2024). It shows what happens when you start with data, drive systemic change with it, then measure whether it worked.
You can read more about Kenya’s journey at the Together for Girls Kenya country page: https://www.togetherforgirls.org/en/countries/kenya
Read more about Violence Against Children’s Surveys (VACS) here – https://www.togetherforgirls.org/en/resources/the-violence-against-children-surveys-vacs-using-vacs-data-to-drive-programmes-and-policies
In 2004, Spain passed Organic Law 1/2004 on Integrated Protection Measures against Gender Violence – Europe’s first comprehensive law integrating prevention, protection, prosecution, and victim support for gender-based violence. This wasn’t just another piece of legislation. It was a constitutional recognition that gender-based violence required wholesale state intervention across every sector.
The law established 106 specialised Violence Against Women Courts with dedicated judges and prosecutors. It created the 016 helpline – 24/7, free, leaves no trace on phone bills. It mandated coordination across justice, health, education, social services, employment. Then in 2017, Spain went further with a State Pact that had unanimous political support – all parties, all regions, local government. 213 measures. €1 billion over five years, eventually reaching €634 million annually (Council of Europe, 2024; European Parliament, 2019).
The results? Spain now has lifetime intimate partner violence prevalence of 13-14%, well below the 22% EU average (European Institute for Gender Equality, 2016). Reporting rates, help-seeking, case processing times, conviction rates have all improved (UN Women, 2023).
But Spain’s story isn’t just about success. Femicides persist – 43 deaths in 2021. Services remain patchy across regions. Economic support for survivors still falls short. And after 20 years of effort, one in two women in Spain still report experiencing violence at some point in their lives (Friedrich Naumann Foundation, 2022).
Spain shows what sustained political commitment, significant investment, and comprehensive legislative frameworks can achieve. It also shows that even with all of that, eradicating violence is generational work.
Scotland, once dubbed the ‘murder capital of Europe’, established the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) in 2005. The VRU pioneered treating violence as a public health issue – multi-agency action, sustained coordination, national scale-up.
The statistics are impressive: homicide rates halved since 2008-09, serious assaults down 47%, Glasgow’s homicide rate reduced threefold over a decade (Scottish VRU, 2024).
But Scotland’s own 2023 Violence Prevention Framework paints a more nuanced picture. After nearly two decades of work and over £24 million invested, violence “persists and can be seen as a normal part of life” in too many communities. Young women aged 16-24 remain three times more likely than young men to worry about being physically attacked. Less than 1% of the population experiences nearly two-thirds of all violent crime (Scottish Government, 2023; Scottish Government, 2024).
Scotland proves sustained public health approaches can achieve dramatic reductions. But it also shows that even after decades of effort and significant investment, comprehensive population-level change remains ongoing work.
Three very different contexts – Kenya, Scotland, Spain – but some clear patterns emerge.
Data matters. Kenya’s repeat VACS surveys enabled them to measure what was working. Spain’s administrative data systems tracked progress across every region. Without baseline measurement and consistent monitoring, you’re working blind.
Time horizons are long. Kenya achieved dramatic reductions in a decade. Scotland has been at this for 20 years and still describes violence as “normal” in too many communities. Spain has sustained effort for two decades and one in two women still report experiencing violence. This is generational work.
Investment must be sustained. Scotland: over £24 million. Spain: €634 million annually. Kenya established national infrastructure from community to constitutional level. Single programmes don’t achieve population-level change.
Political commitment must survive ministerial and government change. Spain’s 2017 State Pact had unanimous support across all parties. That kind of cross-party consensus creates the stability needed for long-term implementation.
But here’s the most important lesson: dramatic reductions are possible. Kenya cut childhood sexual violence in half in less than a decade. Scotland halved its homicide rate. Spain achieved rates well below the EU average.
Violence is preventable, not inevitable. The question for Wales isn’t whether change is possible, but whether we’re prepared for the sustained commitment real change requires.
Annor FB,Ideo N, Mmari K, et al. (2022). Changes in prevalence of violence and risk factors for violence and HIV among children and young people in Kenya: a comparison of the 2010 and 2019 Kenya Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys. BMJ Global Health, 7:e009979. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9791664/
Chiang LF, Kress H, Sumner SA, et al. (2024). Successful child sexual violence prevention efforts start with data: how the Violence Against Children and Youth Survey helped curb the tide of child sexual violence in 20 countries. BMJ Global Health, 9:e014190. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10936510/
Council of Europe. (2024). Committee of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence: Spain reporting form. Available at: https://rm.coe.int/ic-cp-inf-2024-4-spain-reporting-form-on-implementation-of-cop-recomme/1680ae6206
European Institute for Gender Equality. (2016). Combating violence against women – Spain. Available at: https://eige.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/2016.5476_mh0216771enn_pdfweb_20170215100603.pdf
European Parliament. (2019). FEMM Mission to Spain. Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/608865/IPOL_BRI(2019)608865_EN.pdf
Friedrich Naumann Foundation (2022). Violence against Women: Spain is making progress in the fight against violence against women. Available at: https://www.freiheit.org/spain-italy-portugal-and-mediterranean-dialogue/spain-making-progress-fight-against-violence
Scottish Government. (2023). New violence prevention strategy. Available at: https://www.gov.scot/news/new-violence-prevention-strategy/
Scottish Violence Reduction Unit. (2024). About Us. Available at: https://www.svru.co.uk/about-us/
Scottish Government. (2024). Violence prevention framework for Scotland: annual progress report 2023 to 2024. Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/violence-prevention-framework-scotland-annual-progress-report-2023-2024/
NPR. (2015). How Glasgow Shed Its Reputation As ‘The Murder Capital Of Western Europe’. Available at: https://www.npr.org/2015/06/10/413318009/glasgow-reduces-homicide-rate-three-fold-over-10-year-period
UNICEF Kenya. (2020). Action urged as national survey finds half of Kenyan children suffer violence. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/kenya/press-releases/Action-urged-as-national-survey-finds-half-of-Kenyan-children-suffer-violence
UN Women. (2023). Take Five: How Spain is using administrative data to help end violence against women and girls. Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/take-five/2023/07/take-five-how-spain-is-using-administrative-data-to-help-end-violence-against-women-and-girls
