Community Violence Intervention
Through a combination of street outreach by credible messengers and behavioral science-informed interventions, community violence intervention (CVI) programs help de-escalate stressful situations before they lead to violence.
The vast majority of gun homicides in America result from arguments that spiral out of control and turn deadly when a gun is present. That’s why CVI programs, such as behavioral science-informed interventions, can significantly reduce violence involvement by helping people cope with untreated trauma and learn to de-escalate conflicts. Given how little we know about alternative responses to gun violence — and the very high costs this violence imposes on our most vulnerable communities — this promise provides a clear rationale to continue studying the CVI model.
The Crime Lab conducts rigorous evaluations of CVI programs and works to find ways to make them even more effective at reaching the individuals at greatest risk of violence, providing the right supports to improve outcomes, and scaling those successes.
Becoming a Man, a program delivered by Youth Guidance that provides young people with behavioral science-informed interventions, can reduce violent crime arrests by nearly 50%.
Our evaluation of READI Chicago, delivered by Heartland Alliance, estimated a return of $4-$20 in social good to society for every $1 spent on the program
Rapid Employment and Development Initiative (READI) Chicago
READI Chicago is a gun violence reduction initiative that provides almost two years of intensive programming to men at the highest risk of shooting or being shot.
Community Safety Leadership Academies
The Community Safety Leadership Academies, composed of the Policing Leadership Academy and Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy, aim to educate police and community violence intervention leaders.
Choose to Change®
The Choose to Change® program combines trauma-informed therapy with wraparound supports and aims to reduce youth violence while improving educational outcomes outside of an institutional setting.
Youth Advocate Programs
The Crime Lab and Education Lab, in partnership with Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. (YAP), conducted a randomized controlled trial of YAP’s wraparound advocacy services to evaluate the program’s impact on youth academic outcomes and violence engagement outcomes.
Latest Updates
David Young Completes Crime Lab’s Policing Leadership Academy
The Chattanoogan recognizes David Young, Division Chief of Professional Service for the Chattanooga Police Department, for his completion of the Crime Lab’s Policing Leadership Academy (PLA)—a program aimed at reducing violent crime by promoting efficiency and fairness in policing.
Comedy and crime fighting join forces for police learning leadership skills
Claudia Lauer for The Associated Press highlights the Policing Leadership Academy’s partnership with The Second City that uses improv exercises to help police leaders build deeper communication skills and meet their goals of increasing community engagement and creating safer cities.
How Treating Teens’ Trauma Is Stopping Violence in Chicago
The Tradeoffs Podcast highlights the Crime Lab’s study of Choose to Change, a program that pairs cognitive behavioral therapy with wraparound supports to engage young people who are increasingly disconnected from school and often exposed to high levels of trauma – with the goal of keeping them safe and helping them thrive.
