Sophie King-Hill, a researcher in health and social policy, argues that effective strategies to combat violence against women and girls must extend beyond reactive criminal justice measures to address deeper societal structures. Her research demonstrates that the most successful approaches prioritize prevention and early intervention, engage men and boys as allies, provide sustained support for survivors, and establish clear accountability mechanisms for perpetrators.
Sophie King-Hill, University of Birmingham
As the UK government launches its violence against women and girls strategy, the situation it is seeking to remedy makes for hard reading.
One in eight women in England and Wales experienced sexual assault, domestic abuse or stalking between March 2024 and March 2025. Between June 2024 and June 2025, almost 200 rapes were recorded daily. More than 150 women are killed each year.
The picture is similar for young people too: 39% of teens aged 13 to 17 experience emotional or physical abuse in a relationship.
The strategy emphasises prevention and early intervention – stopping violence before it occurs, or before it worsens. It centres support for victims and accountability perpetrators.
The strategy is built off the back of a number of interventions that have already taken place. These include making sexually explicit deepfakes a criminal offense, laws on cyberflashing and the introduction of interventions of “honour” abuse.
The goal is to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. It’s an ambitious target that requires action in multiple different areas. Below are four key points from the strategy and consideration as to why they’ve been included.
1. A major societal shift for men and boys
Significantly, the strategy envisages a whole-society approach to this problem. That means that it recognises male violence as a public health crisis rooted in patriarchal norms and hegemonic masculinity.
Addressing this requires early socialisation of boys, safe spaces for them to explore difficult issues and identity development and emotional literacy, which will shift the focus from blame to prevention and cultural change.
Attached to the strategy is an explanatory note that discusses men and boys as victims of violence and explores how this violence not only causes harm but also influences future behaviours and experiences.
One thing that isn’t explicitly mentioned is the importance of safeguarding language when abuses and violence is experienced by boys. Ensuring terminology is inclusive, legally accurate and reflects all children and young people, not just girls, is important in this context.
An important part of the strategy is the idea that reducing violence against women and girls requires a fundamental shift in how society engages men and boys. It argues that focusing solely on survivors and those who cause harm is insufficient because the roots of this issue lie in deeply embedded gender norms that sustain patterns of inequality.
To dismantle these norms, men and boys must be seen not as potential risk factors but as key stakeholders in change. The note calls for education that equips boys and men to challenge inequitable attitudes and behaviours, fostering empathy, respect and healthy relationships.
2. Starting early to prevent problem behaviour
As part of a goal to disrupt harmful behaviour before it begins, schools will get help to deliver education on misogyny and consent education. There are also plans to work with parents and carers which include a 2026 public campaign to help them reinforce respectful relationships at home.
An online parent hub will offer guidance on media literacy and online safety and a new digital service under the best start in life strategy to provide trusted advice and connect families to local support. There will also be campaigns and awareness raising activities to generate a national public conversation around violence against women and girls.
Running parallel to this is a focus on supporting young men and boys in understanding these issues and giving them support when concerns are raised. This aspect of the strategy links strongly with the new guidance given to schools on relationships, sex and health that is due to become statutory in 2026.
3. A ‘relentless pursuit of perpetrators’
A key term in the strategy is the “relentless pursuit of perpetrators”. To ensure that justice for victims is swift and robust, domestic abuse specialists will be embedded into emergency services response teams and specialist rape and sexual offence teams will be introduced.
These changes reflect recommendations made by the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse for stronger accountability and specialist expertise in responding to sexual abuse.
4. Support for survivors
For victims and survivors, there will be a push to address what is seen as an inconsistent approach. The intention is to meet their needs, not only via specialist services but also within the criminal justice system.
This means creating a more trauma-informed approach in courts and policing, improving communication and procedural fairness and embedding specialist training for justice professionals. Victims should experience consistent, respectful treatment wherever they seek help, whether through dedicated support services or during legal processes, so that justice feels accessible, safe and supportive.
The strategy recognises that helping people move on with their lives after experiencing violence requires a joined-up approach, not just to the criminal justice element but to housing and healthcare. This again reflects recommendations made by the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, which stressed that support needs to be ongoing (beyond the immediate situation) and tailored to individual needs, as requirements often change over time.
This strategy marks a significant step forward. Its whole-society, public health approach and focus on prevention, survivor support, cultural change and accountability are essential elements that are needed to reduce violence in all its forms.
Its success will depend on sustained investment, cross-sector collaboration and a commitment to embedding these principles and actions into everyday life. By addressing root causes, supporting survivors and engaging men and boys as partners in change, we can move closer to a future built on respect, equity and safety for all.
Sophie King-Hill, Associate Professor at the Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.