Behavioral Science
By learning more about human decision-making in stressful situations, behavioral science can help us identify better ways to deal with the harms created by gun violence and a broken criminal justice system — and can help prevent these harms before they occur.
Behavioral science, which seeks to better understand human decision-making, is helping public safety researchers learn more about why individuals are vulnerable to automatic behaviors during high-stress situations — for example, why an individual might pull a trigger when an argument spirals out of control. Behavioral science gives us a new framework through which to view the consequences of difficult situations. This understanding of “criminal behavior” as “human behavior” gives us new tools we can use to reduce violence and promote justice.
The Crime Lab is developing and evaluating programs that provide behavioral science-informed training and supports to individuals at-risk of violence involvement as well as former offenders, police officers, prosecutors, judges, and others involved in the criminal justice system.
Latest Updates
Unraveling the Threads of America’s Gun Culture
Megan Kang, a Crime Lab affiliate and Ph.D. candidate in sociology at Princeton University, outlines new historical evidence that charts the growth in firearm ownership.
Chicago nonprofits gather to discuss progress, solutions for gun violence
CBS Chicago’s Darius Johnson speaks with the Crime Lab’s Kim Smith and Dar’tavous Dorsey about the goals of the event, which hosted nearly 50 nonprofits from every corner of Chicago for its first gun violence prevention expo.
Strides for Peace to debut Gun Violence Prevention Expo
Strides for Peace hosted a new expo focusing on gun violence prevention in Chicago, featuring an information session from the Crime Lab’s Chico Tillmon.