TVTP Solutions, a New England–based consultancy firm, has launched a short-form video series designed to reframe and recontextualize the prevention conversation. The series tries to bridge the persistent gap in public understanding around prevention by presenting stories, behavioral research, and case studies that reveal both the costs of relying on response and the opportunities missed when warning signs go unaddressed.
The video “The Elephant Rider Metaphor: A Blueprint for Violence Prevention” uses the rider-and-elephant metaphor to explain why prevention efforts fail when they focus only on logic and data. The “rider” symbolizes rational thinking, while the “elephant” represents our emotional and instinctive drives that actually steer behavior. The key point is that even the best-designed policies will fall short if they don’t resonate emotionally—people need both rational understanding and emotional motivation to change. Effective violence prevention must therefore engage head and heart, aligning evidence with empathy, motivation, and social connection.
In “Systems vs. Concepts in Violence Prevention: Lessons from Vermont” an examination of how rigid systems, while effective in addressing a single issue, can limit coordination and overlook the broader factors feeding violence. Unlike flexible concepts, which allow for multiple pathways of problem-solving, systems often become too structured and fail to adapt to emerging challenges. Using Vermont as a case study, the video shows that even when a system works on one specific problem, it can miss the interconnected issues that drive violence, ultimately falling short of its larger prevention goals.
“32 Seconds: The Connor Betts Case and the Cost of Failed Prevention” illustrates a striking contrast between instantaneous law enforcement response and months—or even years—of missed prevention opportunities. It recounts how officers stopped the Dayton, Ohio shooter just 32 seconds into his rampage, but reveals that the perpetrator’s extremism and violent ideation were evident long beforehand. The broader message being while response was effective, a rigid focus on rapid action obscures the need for proactive, upstream interventions that could prevent crises before it takes place.
For “Why We Keep Undervaluing Prevention” the series tackles the psychology behind our struggle and confusion around value and mistaking visibility for impact. Using The Price Is Right as an analogy for how easily people misjudge worth. Prevention feels quiet, cheap, and invisible, while response looks urgent, dramatic, and expensive—so we assume it must be more valuable. The video challenges that instinct, reframes prevention as a measurable, high-return investment rather than a soft add-on.
The latest video “Blue Towers, Bulletproof Glass and The Stories We Tell About Security” explores how security measures often shape behavior less through function than through perception. Tools like cameras, bulletproof glass, or armed guards can unintentionally heighten fear, while obsolete blue emergency phone towers, though rarely used, still foster a sense of safety because of the story people attach to them. By showing how narratives and context drive human behavior, the video argues that prevention is most effective when it leverages symbols and storylines that build trust and shape environments where people actually feel safer.
Looking ahead, TVTP Solutions plans to continue releasing new installments in the series on a weekly basis, each addressing a different facet of security and prevention. By pairing research with accessible storytelling, the series aims to keep important conversations about safety in the public eye—challenging assumptions, sparking dialogue, and encouraging communities to think differently about how prevention is practiced.
