Why violence against women and girls happens, and how to prevent it

There is a compelling, three-fold rationale for directing violence prevention efforts at children and young people. First, males’ and females’ adult relationships are shaped in important ways by the norms and practices they take on in adolescence. Second, violence-supportive attitudes are already well established in adolescence, and patterns of physical and sexual violence are evident in some young people’s intimate relations. Third, violence prevention education among children and youth has been shown to work. In the following, I identify the key determinants of violence against girls and women, concentrating on the causes of intimate partner violence (between spouses or in boyfriend-girlfriend relationships). I focus on boys’ and men’s violence to girls and women, while acknowledging that boys and men themselves often are the victims of violence and that girls and women sometimes are the perpetrators. I then identify key populations and contexts for intervention, and strategies available to teachers and schools to prevent violence against girls and women