Violence Intervention Programs
Violence Intervention Programs
What is the problem?
Violence intervention programs provide evidence and community-informed, comprehensive support to individuals who are at greatest risk of gunshot victimization. These programs are shown to reduce gunshot wounds and deaths in the neighborhoods most impacted by gun violence.
Gun homicides and assaults occur at high rates within cities, and have a disproportionate impact in historically underfunded neighborhoods within our cities. Gun violence in cities reflects and amplifies this country’s long-standing systemic and structural inequities.
City leaders, local groups, and residents are driving solutions to reduce gun violence and increase safety in their communities. To reduce gun homicides and assaults within cities, leaders and legislators should invest in community-driven, evidence-based interventions.
Myth & Fact
Myth
Most violence in cities is gang-related.
Fact
In reality, although some gun violence is connected to gang activity, gun violence occurs more frequently within informal social networks tied together by the places people live, the schools they attend, and their places of worship. Gun violence within these social networks is further concentrated into a very small percentage of people. This gun violence frequently occurs spontaneously, following a dispute or perceived disrespect, and between people who are known to one other. These encounters become deadly because a gun is present.
Featured Resources
Summer Youth Employment Programs for Violence Prevention: A Guide to Implementation and Costing
Investing in an SYEP is a cost-effective way to help prevent violence in cities.
Community-led Public Safety Strategies
Communities affected by gun violence need immediate and locally driven interventions in addition to larger scale policy reform.
How COVID-19 Has Increased the Need for Street Outreach Work
Street outreach teams have long been at the front lines of gun violence prevention work and are now battling two pandemics at once.
City Gun Violence Reduction Insight Portal
CityGRIP is an online clearinghouse of data-informed gun violence reduction strategies.
All Resources
Violence Intervention Programs
All Resources
Beyond Measure: Gun Violence Trauma
This study focuses on trauma from gun violence by listening to the voices and experiences of those directly impacted.
Report
Methodological Note for Beyond Measure: Gun Violence Trauma
Read the Report Beyond Measure: Gun Violence Trauma Report The United States is a nation of gun…
Methodological NoteWhen the Shooting Stops: The Impact of Gun Violence on Survivors in America
The trauma of gun violence doesn’t end when the shooting stops. Experiencing gun violence has a lasting impact on survivors.
Report
The Impact of Gun Violence on Latinx Communities
Latinx people in the United States are dying from gun violence every day and at rates disproportionate to their white peers.
Fact SheetEl impacto de la violencia con armas de fuego en las comunidades latinx
Cada año, 3,800 personas latinx mueren de violencia con armas de fuego en los Estados Unidos.
Fact SheetFunding Summer Youth Programming Prevents Gun Violence
As cities develop their spending plan for American Rescue Plan funds, they should prioritize and plan funding for summer youth engagement.
Fact SheetAlternative Dispatch Programs
Creating alternative dispatch options that connect people in crisis with mental health services is key in preventing police gun violence.
Fact Sheet
Invisible Wounds: Gun Violence and Community Trauma among Black Americans
Persistent gun violence is harming too many Black communities in the U.S., contributing to individual, family, and community-level trauma.
Report
Hurdles to Healing: Fixing Victim Compensation Funds
Victim compensation funds are available to survivors of gun violence, but obstacles and restrictions make the funds difficult to access
Fact Sheet
American Rescue Plan for Gun Violence Reduction
States and local governments governments can utilize American Rescue Plan funds to prevent or address gun violence in cities.
Fact SheetCommunity-Led Services for Survivors
Community-led services can assist survivors by responding to incidents of gun violence in their community and providing ongoing care.
Fact Sheet
A Deadly Year in Cities — And How Policymakers Can Respond
While the long term effects of COVID-19 still aren’t fully clear, it is evident that cities have experienced historic levels of violence.
Fact Sheet
A More Complete Picture: The Contours of Gun Injury in the United States
Nonfatal gunshot wounds account for an enormous portion of the gun violence epidemic in America.
Report
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design involves work to change the built environment to reduce crime and increase community safety.
Report
The Impact of Local Violence Intervention Programs
There are nearly 13,000 gun homicides in the U.S. every year There are nearly 13,000 gun homicides in the U.S. every year.1…
Fact Sheet
Five Ways to Enhance the Gun Violence Prevention Strategy in Your City
Cities that have sustained success preventing gun violence have deployed multi-disciplinary, community-involved approaches to response and prevention. Below are five steps that you can take…
Fact Sheet