Community Violence Interventions as Mechanisms of Social Impact and Social Justice: Exploring a Framework for Theory, Practice, and Research

• In Event: Crime Prevention for Social Impact and Social Justice III

Abstract

Community violence interventions (CVIs) involve the efforts of community members to reduce intracommunity violence. Advocates of these programs emphasize not just their potential efficacy in reducing violence, but also their potential to improve social justice. At present, these claims mostly rest on individuals’ assumptions rather than considered analysis. We contribute to scientific and practitioner discourse, first, by defining the constructs of interest (community violence, CVI, social impact, social justice) and considering who comprises “the community” for whom justice is considered (e.g., civilians, CVI clients, CVI staff). We then present a mechanism scheme of possible pathways by which CVIs may lead to social impact and increase social justice, and present what evidence is available that makes these pathways plausible. Finally, we apply this scheme to review several models of CVIs, considering, among other things, what and how services are provided and how implementing organizations are structured. We give attention to individual- and community-level outcomes for those served, the potential social justice impacts on staff and broader governing systems, and ways that the balance of power across social ecologies may be altered. We conclude by discussing how researchers can evaluate CVIs for social impact and social justice.

Authors

• Jay Szkola, Community Violence Prevention Project

• Kwan-Lamar Blount-Hill, Arizona State University