Community-led violence prevention

Three different community-based violence prevention models that have been rigorously evaluated multiple times demonstrated positive results in reducing violence and increasing education attainment. However, research is necessary to demonstrate consistent, long-term positive results.

• Four independent evaluations of the Cure Violence model found that the program was consistently associated with large reductions in violence in intervention areas, along with increased rates of employment, educational attainment, and drug treatment among participants.
  

• A rigorous evaluation on initial impacts of READI showed reduced participation in shootings and homicide and increased rates of employment among participants. However, arrest rates for other violent crimes did not decrease.

• A 2021 implementation evaluation of Roca found the program was associated with reductions in recidivism and drug use, along with increased employment rates.

• Reducing incarceration: Community-led violence prevention initiatives help participants reduce their involvement with crime and violence, decreasing the likelihood of incarceration or re-incarceration. In preventing incarceration, these initiatives better position participants to earn a steady income, complete education or workforce training programs, and access good jobs.
• Connecting residents to jobs: Community-led violence prevention initiatives often offer participants paid transitional employment, providing them with income stability and reducing their experience of extreme poverty. Research demonstrates that income stability is a critical foundation to longer-term upward economic mobility.

• Center lived experience: When staffing a violence prevention initiative, individuals with lived experience similar to those at high risk for violence are often most effective at building long-lasting relationships with potential participants. Beyond serving as credible messengers to participants, these staff members can also help shape program design and outreach strategy.
• Use multiple pathways for engagement: A foundational aspect of violence prevention is identifying those who are at high risk and cultivating relationships with them. To determine who should be considered at a high risk for participating in violence, successful programs develop robust referral systems (such as from community members and criminal justice partners) and through internal predictive data analysis.
• Invest in persistent, long-term relationship-building: Building a relationship with high-risk individuals, especially to the point of securing commitments to workforce development training, often requires a long-term approach of consistent, unwavering engagement. This approach includes the expectation that some initial participants will leave the program and must be re-engaged, that some will participate in violence while enrolled, and that behavioral changes may take several years.
• Deliver and design the program with partners: Evidence-based violence prevention initiatives typically include multiple partners. A community-based partner with deep knowledge of and strong reputation within the neighborhood often leads outreach, while the police department and justice system agencies (such as the Department of Juvenile Services or the Department of Probation and Parole) can provide key data on high-risk areas and safety guidance.
• Set clear safety protocols: Preventing violence often means engaging with individuals or groups at a high risk for participating in violence. To ensure the well-being of program participants, staff members, partners, and community members, develop a clear set of safety protocols and procedures. This can include providing off-site or private work space for participants who have received threats; monitoring interpersonal relationships and de-escalating when necessary; and developing dynamic safety profiles alongside program participants to help measure when risks of participating in violence increase or decrease.