GVPanorama: Fixating on Experimentation Could Hinder Gun Violence Prevention
A more expansive approach is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of community violence intervention programs
Over the last few years, the gun violence prevention movement has come to recognize community violence intervention (CVI) as a solid idea to help reduce gun violence. It’s a practical, multi-pronged, grassroots strategy that does not rely on waiting around for Federal gun control legislation to happen. Heading into the Trump administration, we’ll need more such local cooperation and solutions, as new gun laws will be even harder to enact.
This recent op-ed from Undark — a non-profit digital magazine exploring the intersection of science and society — looks at how to determine if the growing number of CVI initiatives are working, explore what “working” even means, and if it makes sense to use the usual scientific standards to measure the success of CVI.
“The reality of gun violence is complex, as is the politics of violence prevention. Trying to force this complex reality into the framework of randomized trials isn’t just misguided — it fundamentally misunderstands both the nature of gun violence, and the work required to prevent it.”
Check out the full article here.
