Prevention of violence and related public health problems too often falls short of our goals of reducing harm. This is because most prevention efforts focus too much on admonishment and knowledge transfer, despite decades of evidence that such programs are ineffective.

The Strengths–Based Prevention web conference series presents new ways of thinking about prevention that focus on building assets and resources. Drawing from state-of-the-art research on a range of public health problems—such as violence, drug abuse, suicide, and risky sexual activity—Drs. Victoria Banyard and Sherry Hamby present a strengths–based approach to prevention.

Session One: Join PreventConnect and the authors of the book, Strengths-Based Prevention, for an overview of the current state of prevention and introduction to the Prevention Portfolio Model (PPM). The PPM gives practitioners a new lens for thinking about prevention strategies based on promoting people’s access to psychosocial assets and resources.

Session Two: An in-depth look at two evidence-based, strengths-building practices, bystander approaches and mindfulness, that can boost prevention effectiveness and be implemented in a wide array of settings.

Session Three: Moves practitioners to think systemically about variables beyond individuals and small groups to nudges and changes to the built environment that can support positive prevention behaviors. Again, presenters will spend time on several strengths-based practices. Participants will understand at least two ways that systemic and environmental interventions can support prevention.