Public health approach used to reduce violence

Posted: January 30, 2014 12:20 p.m.

Violence reduction at the heart of the public health approach in Scotland. Photo: iStock

In her delivery of the 2013-14 Dr Gordon Wicijowski Law Foundation of Saskatchewan Chair in Police Studies Lecture, Karyn McCluskey, director of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, will discuss how Scotland, at a time when it was highlighted by the UN peace monitor as being the most violent country in Europe, and Glasgow the most violent city, was able to bring the violence down to a 37 year low by starting to look at violence as a disease and implementing a public health approach to reduce violence. This public health campaign was driven primarily by police, but in the intervening decade has gathered professionals and communities across Scotland who are focussed on violence prevention.

Karyn McCluskey has 20 years of experience working in intelligence analysis for police forces across the United Kingdom. McCluskey who originally trained as a registered nurse, holds a BSc and MSc in Psychology and is a fellow by distinction of the Faculty of Public Health, an arm of the Royal College of Physicians.  She has worked in a variety of areas within the National Health Service and Her Majesty’s Prisons in the UK, as well as worked in Africa.

The Dr. Gordon Wicijowski Law Foundation of Saskatchewan Chair in Police Studies lecture is sponsored by the Faculty of Arts, through the generous support of the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan Chair in Police Studies at the University of Regina.

The lecture will take place on Monday, February 3rd at 5:00 pm at the Luther College Auditorium, University of Regina main campus. All are welcome to attend. Admission is free and free parking is available in lot 3M. Pay parking is available throughout campus at kiosk and meters. Refreshments will follow the lecture.

For more information: http://www.uregina.ca/arts/public-lectures/law-foundation.html