Preventing sexual violence: Strategies focused on the physical environment

Strategies focused on the physical environment aim to create safe environments and living spaces, including through the development of the built environment.   

Physical environment: Examples of factors and prevention strategies

Examples of factors related to the economic environment

Factors that contribute to violence

  • Layouts that may facilitate sexual violence (e.g., isolated or unsupervised locations)

Factors that contribute to reducing violence

  • Layouts that promote safety and a sense of security (e.g., lighting, visible access to support services, natural surveillance)

 

Examples of prevention strategies 

 

Designing the built environment

Prevention through the design of the built environment aims to reduce the risk of violence in public places such as streets, public transportation, educational institutions, and bars. It also aims to improve the safety and sense of security of the people who frequent these places, particularly women, who are the main victims of sexual violence in these locations (1–3). This strategy avoids placing the responsibility for reducing the risk of violence on potential victims, in contrast to strategies that encourage them, for example, to avoid certain places at night or to be more vigilant when traveling.

Prevention through the design of the built environment involves interventions on the physical components of this environment, such as buildings, equipment, and infrastructure, to:

  • Modify factors or conditions that may facilitate sexual violence, such as isolated or unsupervised places where it is more difficult to get help.
  • Introduce or strengthen design measures that have the potential to protect. These may include improving lighting, installing video surveillance systems, or encouraging foot traffic to create natural surveillance and deter people with malicious intent from acting (3,4).

Prevention through environmental design has been used for some time in crime prevention in general, but is relatively new in the prevention of sexual violence (5). It appears to contribute to a greater sense of security and a reduction in the incidence of overall crime, but further research is needed to assess its effects on reducing sexual violence specifically (3,6,7).

Educational institutions

Changes can also be made to the physical layout of educational institutions, such as elementary and secondary schools, CEGEPs, and universities. Such changes can promote a sense of security among students and staff who frequent these places, help make them safer, and ultimately contribute to the prevention of sexual violence (7).

Visible access to help and support, for example, by placing resources, services, and reception desks in strategic locations, can contribute to this sense of security and help create a climate that does not tolerate sexual violence (3,7).

References

  1. Centre Hubertine Auclert (2018). Femmes et espaces publics : Pour l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes dans la rue, les transports et les espaces loisirs, [en ligne], Centre Hubertine Auclert, <https://www.centre-hubertine-auclert.fr/sites/default/files/medias/egal…; (consulté le 29 avril 2025).
  2. Cotter, A., et L. Savage (2019). La violence fondée sur le sexe et les comportements sexuels non désirés au Canada, 2018 : Premiers résultats découlant de l’Enquête sur la sécurité dans les espaces publics et privés, [en ligne], Statistique Canada, « Juristat », <https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2019001/article/00017-fra…; (consulté le 29 avril 2025).
  3. Paquin, S. (2019). La prévention des violences à caractère sexuel par l’aménagement des campus d’enseignement supérieur, [en ligne], Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur, <https://cdn-contenu.quebec.ca/cdn-contenu/adm/min/education/publication…; (consulté le 28 avril 2025).
  4. World Health Organization (2020). Global Status Report on Preventing Violence Against Children 2020, [en ligne], Geneva, World Health Organization, <https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/332394/9789240004191-eng.pd…; (consulté le 4 juin 2025).
  5. Mahoney, P., M. LaCure, S. Erdice et M. Decker (2022). Environmental and Situational Strategies for Sexual Violence Prevention: A Practitioners’ Guide to Leveraging Evidence for Impact on College Campuses, [en ligne], Baltimore, Maryland, Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, <https://mcasa.org/assets/files/2022_Final_ESP_Practitioner_Guide.pdf&gt; (consulté le 27 mai 2025).
  6. Labesse, M. E., et A. St-Louis (2024). Conception et aménagement de l’espace public et iniquités de genre : effets sur la santé des femmes, [en ligne], Institut national de santé publique du Québec, <https://www.inspq.qc.ca/sites/default/files/publications/3525-conceptio…; (consulté le 29 avril 2025).
  7. Basile, K. C., S. DeGue, K. Jones, K. Freire, J. Dills, S. G. Smith et J. L. Raifort (2016). Sexual Violence Prevention Resource for Action: A Compilation of the Best Available Evidence, [en ligne], Atlanta, GA, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, <https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/…; (consulté le 3 mars 2025).

Author: Maude Lachapelle, Scientific Advisor, INSPQ
Contributor: Anne-Sophie Ponsot, Scientific Advisor, INSPQ
External review: Larissa Ouedraogo, M.Sc., Planning, Programming and Research Agent, Regional Public Health Department, CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
Geneviève Paquette, Ph. D., Full Professor, Department of Psychoeducation, Université de Sherbrooke
Jacinthe Dion, Ph. D., Professor, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

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