ABOUT US

Our aim

We are about one thing-preventing violence.

As healthcare workers in Scotland we deal with the consequences of violence every day. Most of the injuries we see affect young men, leaving them with scars, disabilities and psychological problems.

They may even kill them.

We are good at treating the injuries and dealing with the medical consequences of violence but that's not enough. We decided it was time that healthcare joined the campaign to reduce violence. MAV aims to prevent violence before it happens. Using our experiences, we can help young people stay safe by giving them an understanding of the consequences of violence and how to avoid it.

Our members

All the medics who take part in our programmes are volunteers and come from all sorts of healthcare backgrounds. There is strength in diversity-we've all seen the consequences of violence from a slightly different perspective and are determined to reduce violence in Scotland. 

Our projects

Schools

Our first project aims to influence attitudes to violence among Scottish youth, particularly in relation to knife carrying, knife crime and gang membership. Launched on 18th November 2008 at the Southern General Hospital Glasgow by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon, and the Minister for Justice, Kenny MacAskill, this initiative sees medics go into schools to talk to young people about the consequences of violence. We've spoken to over 7000 young people so far. Any school in Scotland can request a visit and we'll do our best to get there, most of our volunteers work full time so some flexibility is needed. Our presentation fits within a standard class period and is aligned with the Curriculum for Excellence.

Domestic Abuse

We provide free training for dentists and, soon for other health professionals, about domestic abuse. Domestic abuse can affect anyone but it's still a subject that many healthcare professionals find difficult to talk to patients about. The AVDR programme developed in the USA is a great example of best practice in the area of domestic abuse and could be applied to many healthcare settings. Skip to our Domestic Violence Initiative for Dentists page to find out more. 

Support

MAV was started with and has continued to be supported by funding from the Scottish Government and we share with them the common aim of violence prevention for a safer Scotland.

MAV works in partnership with the Scottish national Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) and is affiliated with the WHO Violence Prevention Alliance. We are also part of the Scottish Government's No Knives Better Lives programme

Our Patron

MAV's new patron is Dame Elish Angiolini, former Lord Advocate for Scotland

Dr Christine Goodall, Consultant Oral Surgeon
Mark Devlin, Consultant Cleft and Maxillofacial Surgeon
David Koppel, Consultant Craniofacial and Maxillofacial Surgeon
Founders of Medics Against Violence