Francisco PerezNational Director

University of Illinois at ChicagoSchool of Public Health

September 16, 2015

In many US cities,

HOMICIDE is the LEADING CAUSE OF

DEATH

MoralismBad people

SCIENCE

HEALTH PROBLEM & SOLUTION

Violence is Contagious

Health Approach

1. Violence behaves like a contagious disease (epidemic)

2. Treating violence like an epidemic gets results in communities

The

Contagionof

Violence

VIOLENCE

Epidemic waves

Clustering

Transmission

AS A CONTAGION

Population characteristics

Violence Has Characteristics of Epidemics

1. Violence clusters - like a disease

Cholera Violence

2. Violence spreads - like a disease

Influenza

Violence

3. Violence is transmitted - through exposure, modeling,social learning, and norms.

Ruiz- Moreno, 2009

Cholera in Bangladesh, 1983-2003

Violence in Chicago, 2010

Adapted by Cure Violence from CPD, 2010

Source: Mullins et al. 2004; Devries et al. 2011

TRANSMISSIONOF VIOLENCE

Exposure toViolence

Violence

Transmissionacross syndromes community family spousal

childsuicide

VIOLENCE TRANSMISSION

ObservingWitnessing

Trauma

MEANS OF TRANSMISSION

WE KNOW HOW TO

STOP EPIDEMICS

1. Interrupting transmission2. Preventing future spread

3. Changing group norms

STOP EPIDEMICS by:1. Interrupting transmission

Identify and interrupt conflict

DETECTION & INTERRUPTION

Mapping High Risk Zones 22

Credible Messengers

Hospital-Focused Interrupters

STOP EPIDEMICS by:1. Interrupting transmission

2. Preventing future transmission

qsw

CHANGE BEHAVIOR of highest risk Photograph by Ed

Kashi

Photograph by Ed Kashi

CHANGE BEHAVIOR

CHANGE BEHAVIOR

STOP EPIDEMICS by:1. Interrupting transmission

2. Preventing future transmission

3. Changing norms

Photograph by Ed Kashi

CHANGE NORMS

CHANGE NORMS

CHANGE NORMS

OAKLANDKANSAS CITY

NEW ORLEANS

EAST ST. LOUIS

BALTIMORE

CHICAGOPHILADELPHIAROCKFORD

MAYWOODNORTH CHICAGO

ALBANY

YONKERS

CURE VIOLENCE NATIONAL ADAPTATION PARTNERSMarch 2015

NEW YORK CITY

SPRINGFIELD

BUFFALO

ROCHESTERSYRACUSE

SAN ANTONIO

WILMINGTON

CAMDEN

Loiza, PRADAPTATION PARTNERSNEW ADAPTATION PARTNERS

MT VERNON

CICERO

TROY

HEMPSTEAD

POTENTIAL PARTNERSPOTENTIAL HEALTH APPROACH PARTNERS

ST. LOUIS

MIAMI

SAN FRANCISCORICHMOND

LOS ANGELES

SEATTLE

MILWAUKEEMINNEAPOLIS

DURHAM

TALLAHASSEE

Cure Violence: Documentary Trailer (short)

DETECT AND INTERRUPT

POTENTIALLY VIOLENT

CONFLICTS

TREAT THOSE AT HIGHEST

RISK FOR INVOLVEMENT IN VIOLENCE

GROUP AND COMMUNITY

NORM CHANGE

DATA AND

MONITORING

TRAINING AND TECHNICAL

ASSISTANCE

Core Components

Implementing Components

Implementation

The Right…• Community• Lead Agency & Implementing Organization(s)• Partners

•Approach Workers with the Right skills & Right

credibility/suitability Data Analyses Participants Messages and Messengers

Critical Elements of the Model

The Right: Community

The Right: Lead Agency & Implementing Organization(s)

Lead Agency • Frequently Health Department• Roles & Responsibilities

Implementing Organizations• Mission consistent with the model• Strong ties to the target community• History of working with highest-risk individuals• Supportive of a non-traditional approach to

violence reduction

The Right: Partners• Law Enforcement

• Hospitals

• Faith Community

• Service Providers Education

Job Readiness

Employment

Substance Abuse

Mental Health

Housing

The Right Staff with the Right Skills

MUST BE:• Able to relate to

highest risk• Credible• Suitable • Connected to target

community• Street-smart • Professional

The Right: Approach

The Right: Approach

• Continuous Data Analyseso Hot Spotso Hours (incidents vs. operation)o Groupso Incident Reviewo Mapping

• Working with the Right Participantso Highest Risk

• Right Messages & Messengers

INDEPENDENTEVALUATIONS

arrows

41% - 73%

ChicagoShootings

andKillings

-56%BaltimoreKillings

-20%

New York City

Shootings

“Cure Violence….the approach that will come to prominence.”

- The Economist

Thank you!Cure Violence

@CureViolence fperez@uic.edu

For More Information Visit:www.cureviolence.org