The public health approach views violence as emerging from a complex causal system that includes but is not limited to offender intentions, motivations, and characteristics. Favored interventions occur at the level of primary prevention, the prevention of harm before it occurs. The public health perspective complements criminal justice efforts which mostly take place at secondary and tertiary levels when the risk of violence has been identified or when violence has already occurred. The public health approach brings a new platform for observation and intervention, additional resources for developing and using data, and a new constituency. It emphasizes the fallacy of relying strictly on the criminal justice system to achieve change among those involved in violent offenses. 51 references