Virginia Shared Risk and Protective Factors Dashboard

Risk and protective factors can be at the individual, family, or community level.

Risk factors make a person more likely to experience injuries or violence. Some examples of risk factors at each level are:

• Individual: substance use
• Relationship: no family support
• Community: few jobs in an area

The goal is to decrease risk factors. Decreasing risk factors help prevent injuries or violence.

Protective factors make a person less likely to experience injuries or violence. Some examples of protective factors at each level are:

• Individual: doing well in school
• Relationship: family connectedness
• Community: access to mental health services

The goal is to increase protective factors. Protective factors help prevent injuries or violence.

Risk and protective factors are shared across different types of injury. For example, substance use (risk factor) can make a person at higher risk for suicide or assault. But community connectedness (protective factor) can lower a person’s risk for suicide or assault. This is the “shared risk and protective factors” framework. Understanding shared risk and protective factors is key to prevent injuries.

Use the buttons below to explore the Shared Risk and Protective Factors data dashboard.