Community Violence Prevention and Intervention: Insights from the Frontlines

Community violence interventions (CVI) aim to reduce violence by preventing and disrupting cycles of retaliation and by delivering supports and services that save lives, address trauma, provide opportunity and improve the conditions that drive violence. While these strategies have existed in communities for decades, research on CVI – its impact and efficacy, but also how and why it works – has been limited. In particular, the experience and expertise of frontline workers, who work directly with the population most vulnerable to community violence, remains underexplored.

In this Joyce Foundation webinar, researchers from the University of California, Davis will discuss a recent paper that explores the perspectives and insights of community violence intervention professionals in three cities: Sacramento, California; Baltimore, Maryland; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This research draws on interviews and focus groups with 45 frontline workers across these cities to understand the drivers and mitigators of community gun violence and the challenges that CVI specialists face in approaching their work, and offers recommendations to advocates and policymakers considering employing these strategies to reduce community gun violence.

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