The Social-Ecological Model: A Framework for Violence Prevention

The ultimate goal of the work of violence prevention is to stop violence before it begins. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) uses a four-level social-ecological model (SEM) to better understand and prevent violence. The four levels are: (1) Individual; (2) Relationship; (3) Community; and (4) Societal. This model considers the complex interplay between individual, relationship, community, and societal factors. It allows the CDC to understand the range of factors that put people at risk for violence or protect them from experiencing or perpetrating violence. The overlapping rings in the model illustrate how factors at one level influence factors at another level. Besides helping to clarify these factors, the model also suggests that in order to prevent violence, it is necessary to act across multiple levels of the model at the same time. This approach is more likely to sustain prevention efforts over time than any single intervention.