Elizabeth Van Brocklin, The Trace
July 10, 2019
In this article, the author highlights approaches to addressing community violence that rest on proven methods.
Focusing on the individuals most likely to commit shootings is a core aspect of the evidence-based strategies gaining acceptance today. Three of the main models are hospital-based violence intervention, Cure Violence, and focused deterrence; all are grounded in the finding that in American cities, a small percentage of the population is responsible for the vast majority of violence. Intervening directly with those at highest risk for perpetrating shootings — or being shot themselves — has proven to help crack the cycle of violence and trauma.
The author contrasts the response to mass shootings such as Sandy Hook and Parkland and what happens on the streets of our cities; quoting local Philadelphia journalist Larry Platt in response to a June weekend in which five were killed and more than twenty injured:
“Philadelphia spends over $45 million on violence prevention programs of dubious effectiveness, yet Focused Deterrence, which pretty clearly works? We spend $130,000 on it.,
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