University of Chicago Economist Jens Ludwig Testifies on Violence Reduction Research Before Illinois House Committee
The Illinois House Gun Violence Prevention Committee will today hear testimony from Dr. Jens Ludwig, who will detail violence reduction strategies from his book, “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence.”
SPRINGFIELD, IL — The Illinois House Gun Violence Prevention Committee will today hear testimony from Dr. Jens Ludwig, who will detail violence reduction strategies from his book, Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence. The testimony will be available to livestream at 2:00pm CT on the Illinois General Assembly website here (Committee Room 118 and Virtual Room 2).
Drawing on more than two decades of research, Ludwig’s book argues that behavioral science can help diagnose the causes of America’s gun violence problem and provide solutions. Why are people so frequently willing to use guns to harm or even kill one another? His research suggests that most shootings are not premeditated or motivated by economic concerns but are arguments that escalate and end in tragedy because someone has a gun. Behavioral science suggests evidence-based strategies can help cities meaningfully reduce violent crime.
The legislative committee will hear Ludwig’s testimony in consideration of a resolution that recognizes Ludwig’s research and urges the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and other state agencies and programs to identify and encourage the adoption of evidence-based decision-making and impulse-control curricula. One example of such curricula is Every Choice Has Opportunity (ECHO). Created by Ludwig and colleagues at the University of Chicago in partnership with local practitioners and young people, ECHO is designed to help young people develop skills to make thoughtful decisions in difficult, often high-stakes and emotionally charged situations. This type of curriculum could be integrated into existing programs statewide, including Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) instruction in schools and early interventions for minors in the juvenile justice system.
“Illinois has an opportunity to lead the nation in expanding access to curricula that is research-backed, low-cost, and can further advance violence prevention efforts in classrooms, courtrooms, and communities,” said Representative La Shawn K. Ford, the sponsor of the resolution. “Professor Ludwig’s research makes it clear that we have the tools to move the needle on gun violence. Now we need to use them.”
The work by Ludwig and his colleagues has many potential applications for policy, such as encouraging law enforcement agencies and community violence intervention organizations to use data to identify where and when conflict is most likely to escalate into gun violence and to concentrate their resources accordingly. Ludwig’s blueprint also points to the critical importance of the built environment in shaping neighborhood vibrancy — the presence of foot traffic that increases the chances that someone will step in and help defuse or de-escalate conflict when it happens (what Jane Jacobs famously called “eyes on the street”). And the research suggests state agencies can take other practical steps to improve safety and quality of life in communities, such as reducing regulatory barriers that make it harder for people to open businesses in low-income areas, and encouraging local governments to enhance street lighting and repair abandoned houses.
Should the resolution pass the Illinois House Gun Violence Prevention Committee, it will be heard by the full Illinois House of Representatives.
About Jens Ludwig
Jens Ludwig is the Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago, Pritzker Director of the University of Chicago’s Crime Lab, and co-director of the Education Lab. He helped found the Crime Lab and Education Lab to work closely with the public sector to solve pressing social problems. These partnerships have led to important policy changes in cities around the country, including Chicago and New York, and have been featured in national news outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, PBS News Hour, and National Public Radio. He serves on the Committee on Law and Justice of the National Academy of Sciences and in 2012 he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.