Trauma-informed Community Violence Intervention and Prevention

People living in poverty are far more likely than the well-off to experience a variety of painful stressors and threats to their health and well-being, including exposure to violence—as witnesses, victims, and friends and relatives of victims. And poverty in America is concentrated in under-resourced, racially segregated places.

In most cities, just 4 percent of city blocks account for roughly half of all violence. A 2001 but unfortunately still relevant study of 7-year-olds in one urban neighborhood found that three in four of these young children had heard gunshots, nearly one in five had seen a dead body outside, and more than six in ten worried some or most of the time that they’d be killed or die.

Unaddressed trauma, especially childhood trauma, is associated with anxiety and depression, substance use disorders, hypervigilance and sensitivity, struggles in school and at work, and aggressive behavior. Whether we’re talking about domestic violence or street shootings, perpetrators are very often also survivors of trauma and exposure to violence.

Community violence intervention (CVI) takes a healing, public-health approach to interrupt this cycle of harm, seeing community violence as akin to an infectious disease. It posits that community members who are relatable, who understand the problem firsthand, can intervene in high-risk situations to de-escalate conflicts, and in some cases connect people with services such as mental health counseling, housing, and job training.  

These outreach workers and violence interrupters are trained in conflict resolution and trauma-informed care. They work on the streets, interacting proactively to identify and defuse tensions, responding to incidents to soothe participants and bystanders, and following up with victims, family members, and perpetrators. They work in schools, helping kids who are getting into trouble avoid the school-to-prison pipeline that heaps lasting consequences disproportionately on children of color. CVI workers also can be found in hospital trauma units, working with injured victims and their families to address psychological wounds and stem the cycle of retaliation. 

“Healing circles” in housing developments, community organizations, and other settings—opportunities to talk, share experiences, and provide mutual care—are a part of CVI. So are community-led marches, summits, and other events that call for peace. Even sports leagues can be the vehicle for bringing people together around a grassroots anti-violence message. 

The “credible messengers” of CVI have helped drive significant, quantifiable reductions in violent victimization in sites that have embraced and robustly operationalized the strategy. 

LISC Safety & Justice supports CVI in many of the under-resourced places where we work, as part of our comprehensive community development approach. We advocate for the professionalization of the CVI workforce in the form of quality training, fair pay, and benefits. CVI workers, often people who’ve experienced their own traumas and involvement in the criminal justice system, lead with love for their communities. It’s a demanding and sometimes dangerous job that deserves respect and support.