Violence as a Health Crisis: What Does the Research Say about Reducing Violence? Community based interventions, community capacity and partnership best practices Caterina G. Roman, PhD Department of Criminal Justice Temple University February 22, 2018
Outline Backdrop/context for presentation How is "evidence-based" operationalized in the most recent studies Community based interventions, community capacity and partnership best practices The elements of an effective program and important aspects of a program 2
Research Backdrop/Expertise: Dr. Roman Dozens of multi-site evaluations of violence reduction strategies all across the US Case studies to determine correlates of successful crimereduction partnerships Recent study to assess levers for gang disengagement Strength of institutions and community organization a key piece of the puzzle Community-capacity building efforts Sustainability of programs Holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to building overall community well-being, not just crime reduction
Be (somewhat) Wary of Evidence Base Evidence-based means different things to different people An Evidence-Based Program (EBP) in social sciences often categorized by strength of evaluations.. BUT...some programs are more difficult to evaluate rigorously Programs targeting community-level or city-level outcomes, more difficult to evaluate versus individually-targeted programs For some programs, Federal government mandated evaluation and provided funding, leading to more evals for particular interventions Some EPBs that reduce violence may have other less desirable outcomes Those focused on policing or suppression Some might displace crime (but not tested for) 4
Two Well-known Gun Violence Reduction Models Cure Violence Focused Deterrence What if we treated violence like a contagious disease? Honor core deterrence ideas while finding new and creative ways of deploying traditional and nontraditional law enforcement tools" 5
CURE VIOLENCE & FOCUSED DETERRENCE ACTIVITIES Identify high risk and groupinvolved individuals for intervention Interrupt conflicts Community partnerships INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES Targeted individuals avoid situations involving the risk of violence COMMUNITY- LEVEL OUTCOMES Gun Violence declines Violence is denormalized
decrease Results Philadelphia: Community-Level Percent Reductions in Shootings over 24 months 0.0% -5.0% -10.0% -15.0% Cure Violence Northern Treatment Area Focused Deterrence -20.0% -25.0% -30.0% -35.0% -40.0% -30.2% -35.0% Statistically significant reductions in shootings 7
Assess Desired Theory of Change Mechanisms to Achieve Outcomes Deterrence/incapacitation versus internal identity shift Can behavior change/outcomes be sustained? Are police involved in a way that facilitates procedural justice? Does community have an active voice in change process ( participatory )? Is intervention trauma-informed or restorative? Will the intervention leave the community better off, in more ways than one? Think about the range of changes you want program to achieve, both short-term and long-term changes 8
How do you make neighborhoods safer and stronger without relying mainly on crime control tactics? Theory of Change Partnership Organizational Capacity 9
Elements of Successful Programs: Theory of Change Fidelity to the model (if replicating) with continuous quality improvement Purposeful, careful targeting People + places +networks E.g., Individual-focused outcome achieved likely to disappear when youth gang member returns to street To make a dent in gun violence, must include the hard-to-reach gang & gun offenders Proper dosage with firm structure: intensity and duration Intermediate outcomes include building community cohesion and informal social control = collective efficacy Credible messengers 10
Elements of Successful Programs: The Partnership True community input/representation (active voice) Horizontal and vertical integration across partners Communication and collaboration Clear roles and responsibilities Transformational leader(s) Sustainability built into the model E.g., Maryland Reentry Partnership and Enterprise Foundation model Includes a research partner from the beginning Access to real resources partners can fill gaps, willing to innovate and take risks Access to prosocial supports/human capital = hooks for change 11
Elements of Successful Programs: Capacity of Community Organizations Organization is ready and willing Programs targeting violent/gang individuals scare off many Data support steady commitment to data input and analysis Goals, objectives of program explicitly include capacity building Physical community presence Nurtures a relationship with law enforcement, wide range of community residents Ongoing training/ta, support and self-care 12
Intended Outcomes = Healthy & Strong Neighborhoods 13