Next Steps in Community-Level Violence Prevention and Reduction Research

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research, development, and evaluation agency of the Department of Justice, is interested in building knowledge on what it takes to produce sustained community level reductions in violence. We have learned a great deal about violence prevention and reduction approaches. However, there is limited evidence to date on how to obtain and maintain substantial community-level reductions in violent crime. Several issues may contribute to this. There are a variety of community characteristics and attributes that may contribute to persistently high levels of violence or enduring violence reductions. At the same time, multiple violence prevention and reduction efforts may coexist in these communities.

Discussants on this panel will be asked questions designed to identify the next steps to take in conducting community-level violence prevention and reduction research. Panelists will include violence prevention researchers from multiple disciplines including sociology, criminology, criminal justice, and social work. Some of the many issues discussants have examined include the dissemination of evidence-based programs, adaptations of programs by communities, applying a public health approach to prevention, the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and violence, and translating science to practice. Discussants will be asked to consider questions such as:

• What are the gaps in our understanding of effective approaches for producing sustained community-level reductions in violent crime?

• What methods should be used to increase our understanding of effective approaches for producing sustained community-level reductions in violent crime?

• What hurdles do researchers face in trying to fill these gaps in our understanding? How can these hurdles be addressed?