Embedding violence prevention in existing religious and education systems: initial learning from formative research in the Safe Schools Study in Zimbabwe

Interventions designed by 'insiders' at institutions such as the Catholic Church, have huge potential for implementation at a large scale due to systems and context expertise, pre-established relationships, and alignment with stakeholder priorities. However, such interventions should be mindful of power hierarchies and provide adequate support to equip actors with violence prevention expertise. Future research on violence prevention interventions designed by religious institutions and their implications for future scale-up and sustainability is recommended.