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Foundations

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Three Foundational Elements

The PAR Model is built upon three key elements, seven basic concepts, and a new vocabulary to describe violence and the functions of the PAR Model.

Three elements provide a foundation for the PAR Model :

1. The public health approach — The PAR Model incorporates the public health approach which follows four principal steps:

1. Definition of the problem.
2. Identification of risk factors and drivers.
3. Response — prevention and intervention.
4. Evaluation of results and planning for follow-up.

The PAR Model draws heavily from the medical model for understanding and responding to trauma, disease, and toxicity which are characteristic of violence. It incorporates the goal of creating a strong immune system. This model is intended to render violence in terms which more effectively aligns with the public health approach and minimizes or eliminates the social, political, legal, and moral models which may actually contribute to the perpetuation of violence.

2. Recognition of the human need for power — There are three ontological questions incorporated into the PAR Model. They are:

1. Who am I?
2. What is the nature of the world?
3. What is my place in that world?

The answers to these questions frame the way in which human beings operate and establish meaning and value for their existence. Meaning and value are elemental forms of power, without which being in the world makes no sense. To support the answers to the three ontological questions, we accumulated power. We incorporate healthy, benign, or unhealthy forms of power (or a combination of the three) to perpetuate our existence. Violence is an unhealthy manifestation of power.

3. The universal field, discriminator (also called "the lens"), and the construct — In a normal state of consciousness, human beings are not aware of every piece of information coming from the reality within which they exist moment to moment. This reality is called the "universal field." We construct our experience of reality from this field. By reframing the construct about violence through a cognitive approach, violence is seen in a new way — one that differs significantly from the "punitive" way we've seen violence historically and one in which we can more effectively deal with and prevent violence.

Site testing of the model suggests that it will be an invaluable resource in international relations, criminal/justice, education, public health, mental health, and other settings. The PAR Model is successful because it eliminates many of the liabilities of the punitive model. An example of the effective application of the model in a correctional setting is described in a Project Update (PDF - 396 kb, courtesy of Edvita Institute).

Seven Basic Concepts

The seven basic concepts of the PAR Model are:

1. A definition of violence.

2. Nine manifestations of fear.

3. The objectification/action process.

4. Degrees of severity.

5. The concept of the "five bodies."

6. The application of developmental stages.

7. The development of resiliency.

These seven components are viewed in a public health context rather than in a religious or political context. The public health approach provides a disciplined approach while allowing the model to be applied universally.

A New Language

Some of the new terms (applied to violence and, most especially, the PAR Model) which are described in detail in the book are:

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