Design environments, not just messages, because behavior is tightly coupled to context

Harm often clusters in specific places and moments. A small number of blocks account for most street crime. A few bridges attract most jump attempts. Certain party settings spike poor choices. If behavior is tightly coupled to context, then the most humane lever is the context, not lectures. Relatively small design shifts—barriers, defaults, time‑locks, rapid help—can prevent tragedies without shaming people.

Picture a campus path where conflicts erupt right after a certain class lets out. Instead of more punishments, staff quietly post two adults by the choke point for ten minutes, open a second exit, and shift a bus pickup time by five minutes. Fights drop. No speeches required. A principal later admits, over a paper cup of coffee gone cold, “We moved doors and minutes, and the problem nearly vanished.”

The same idea applies online. Late‑night autoplay and endless scroll couple with fatigue and loneliness. A one‑tap sleep reminder and a default nightly pause cut usage during the riskiest window. People still watch when they want, but the app no longer engineers compulsion.

Coupling reminds us people are not broken. Contexts make some choices far too easy. Change the path and you change the pattern. This is prevention by design: targeted, measurable, and respectful of dignity.

List the few places and times where problems cluster, then remove the easiest path to harm in each by adding barriers, time‑locks, or small delays. Pair those frictions with a faster, easier helper path, like a staffed doorway or a one‑tap support link. Pilot your tweaks for two weeks and track the counts before and after. You’ll likely see big drops without a single lecture. Try one location change this month.