Violence interruption

Violence interruption is a community-based approach to reducing communal and interpersonal violence that treats violence as a public health problem.[1][2] Indivduals providing violence interruption services are known as violence interrupters.[3] Techniques used include mediation and measures to address underlying causes of violence such as poverty. The initiatives use a public health model to prevent violence and crime by treating them as diseases.[2]

As of 2018 initiatives were in place in Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Baltimore and other US cities, as well as in London and Glasgow.[2][3]

Violence interruption is distinct from law enforcement as an approach to ending violence, although the two approaches can sometimes be regarded as complementary to one another.[2]

The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention is an organization which links violence interruption projects to medical resources.

During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, violence interrupters helped encourage social distancing, hand washing, and other measures to limit viral spread and helped distribute food and supplies in the areas they served.[4][5][6]

History

In the 1990s epidemiologist Gary Slutkin noticed similarities between the AIDS epidemic in Africa and the violence occurring in Chicago at the time, noticing that violence was happening in "clusters," seemed to be "replicating itself", and was increasing rapidly, just like disease epidemics did.[2] He recognized these as the three classic signs of contagious disease and decided to treat it as that.[2] He applied for funding and started a pilot program which eventually became Cure Violence.[2] Using a sociological technique he and colleagues had developed fighting AIDS in Uganda, he recruited former gang members as "Violence Interrupters" to do outreach.[2] According to the BBC, "The results were instant; crime in its pilot area, West Garfield, dropped significantly. Soon the project was being adopted across other troubled parts of [Chicago]."[2]

See also

References
  1. "Violence Interrupters Are Trying To Prevent People From Resorting To 'Desperate Measures'". Guns & America. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  2. Mackintosh, Thomas (2018-09-21). "The city curing violence like a disease". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  3. Hermann, Peter (December 14, 2018). "He used to sell drugs on D.C. streets. Now he's paid to make them safer". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  4. "Fearing Unmet Needs Will Fuel Crime, Violence Interrupters Offer Food And Support". WAMU. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  5. Southall, Ashley (2020-05-22). "Police Face Backlash Over Virus Rules. Enter 'Violence Interrupters.'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  6. "On The West Side, Violence Interrupters Have A New Message: Wash Your Hands". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved 2020-06-10.


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