This webpage published by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Journal summarizes two prevention concepts that have recently emerged in the field of crime prevention and are used in the prevention of sexual violence.
This article discusses recent research applying situational and developmental crime prevention and describes promising programs that use these frameworks to prevent sexual violence. The authors describe two prevention concepts that have emerged: situational crime prevention recognizes that many crimes are contextual or opportunistic in nature; and developmental crime prevention aims to prevent the development of criminal behaviors in individuals, particularly children and youth. Criminal justice practitioners have used both approaches to prevent sexual violence. Awareness about sexual violence has grown over time, sparked in part by the passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 and continuing more recently as victims share their stories and garner more media and public attention. Crime prevention must challenge the assumption that a given strategy will work equally well for various individuals committing disparate crimes. Crime is diverse and complex, and different strategies are needed depending on the type of crime, the person who commits the crime, and the context of the crime. Given this diversity, traditional law enforcement and criminal justice approaches cannot be the only strategies to safeguard communities. Primary prevention strategies are useful for crime prevention but cannot stop crime alone. Comprehensive crime prevention should include both strategies to prevent criminal behavior and effective responses after crimes have occurred. Ideally, prevention and response strategies need an individualized approach focused on the types of crimes, the people who commit these crimes, and the communities in which the crimes occur.