Violence Reduction Councils Can Help Communities Identify and Implement Long-Term Solutions

The United States experienced a 30 percent increase in homicide rates in 2020—its highest annual increase in more than 100 years. Today, homicides are the second leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 24—surpassing cancers, heart disease, diabetes, and liver disease combined, and research shows homicides have a disproportionate impact on Black Americans.

But violence is preventable. Violence Reduction Councils take an interdisciplinary, data-driven, and public health-focused approach to violence prevention and intervention. They’re proven to prevent violence, enact sustainable improvements to reduce violence in cities, and rebuild trust among local governments, law enforcement, and community members. 

A new project led by Cassandra Crifasi, PhD, associate professor, and Mallory O’Brien, PhD, associate scientist, with funding by the Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health will help empower communities to develop and implement Violence Reduction Councils through training and toolkits.

Additional information on this project is forthcoming. In the meantime, a new fact sheet and video provide an overview of the research and the value of this public health approach to violence prevention.

For more information, contact us at americanhealth [at] jhu.edu (americanhealth[at]jhu[dot]edu)