Injury and Violence Prevention State Plan

2020-2030

Preventing Injuries and Violence in Minnesota (PDF) is a state plan for 2020-2030 that aims to coordinate efforts across Minnesota and across sectors to reduce the incidence of injury and violence.  The Addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) through Shared Risk and Protective Factors addendum (PDF) explains how addressing shared risk and protective factors can also prevent and mitigate the impact of ACEs. 

Injuries and violence take many forms but are often connected by the same root causes. Our work in injury and violence prevention often appears to be separate, but in reality, the root causes of injury and violence conditions are often overlapping.

Shared risk and protective factors

Shared risk factors are conditions that increase the likelihood of injury or violence, while shared protective factors are conditions that decrease the likelihood of injury of violence. Injuries and violence often share risk and protective factors.

By understanding these shared risk and protective factors, we can deploy upstream preventive measures that address the root causes, or social determinants of health, of injury and violence.

The purpose of this framework is to connect our efforts by looking at shared risk factors that increase the likelihood of injuries and violence and protective factors that decrease them.

Five factors and suggested strategies

We have identified five factors and strategies that can have the largest impact on preventing injury and violence across multiple sectors. Those factors are:

• Health equity
• Community connectedness
• Economic justice
• Built environment
• Social and emotional learning

This plan outlines ways communities and organizations can promote the five factors, and how MDH can support them.

Who can use this state plan?

MDH Injury and Violence Prevention Section hopes the state plan can act as a guide for local public health, community organizations, including both those who are currently funded by MDH and those who may become funded by MDH in the future, and other partners in prevention.

While not intended for individual Minnesotans, many of the ideas explored in this document can be used by individuals as they find ways to join in the efforts to prevent injury and violence in Minnesota.