Violence interruption: Understanding the causes, characteristics, and outcomes of potentially lethal neighborhood conflicts

Utilizing a public health and disease control approach to violence, Cure Violence (CV), formerly known as Chicago CeaseFire, has been found to be effective in reducing violence by three independent evaluations in different U.S. cities, including Chicago, New York, and Baltimore (Skogan, Hartnett, Bump, & Dubois, 2008; Webster, Whitehill, Vernick, & Parker, 2012; Picard-Fritsche & Cerniglia, 2013). As a program, CV has adapted over the years to address the specific elements associated with neighborhood violence. For instance, in 2004, CV introduced workers specifically tasked with identifying and resolving neighborhood conflicts (violence interrupters). A recent evaluation found that this element of the CV model may differentiate effective programs from others; specifically, an evaluation of Baltimore's program found that sites with significant reductions in homicides had three times as many conflict mediations per month than less successful sites (Webster et al., 2012). To date, there has been scant research on the dynamics surrounding neighborhood conflicts. Given the majority of shootings and homicides occur in urban neighborhoods, a better understanding of the causes and dynamics of such conflicts can lead to more effective violence prevention efforts. We will discuss data collected on conflict mediations from fourteen different neighborhood CV sites, including: • Characteristics associated with neighborhood conflict (e.g., severity, risk factors, role of drugs and alcohol, number of individuals) • What are the causes of neighborhood conflict (e.g., domestic, interpersonal, gang) • Strategies used by community health workers (e.g., constructive shadowing, middle man) • Outcomes of initial mediations and follow-up with parties involved