Fiona Boyd
Mrs. Torres
AP Sem
Aug. 19, 2021
Journalistic and Objective Update: Evidence-Based Community Violence Intervention
Program
With 10.6 homicides per 100,000 residents of Indiana, the rate of intentional murders is
higher than that of Chicago. Researchers also suggest that nearly 90% of gun perpetrators report
histories of being bullied. The number of shootings in one area is significantly reduced when
kids were kept occupied with Community Violence Intervention Programs. These programs
provide a localized approach to gun violence prevention and are run by members of the
community rather than government officials, making kids feel more comfortable. In Chicago,
some programs offer mental therapy for kids struggling with depression and other mental
disorders. In 2005 in Indiana, the “Red Flag” laws were passed by the help of the intervention
programs due to the increased funding that the CDC received for its research. Conducted studies
show that interventions are one of the best ways to decrease gun violence. According to the
White House, gun violence has gone down by 60% in areas that provide intervention programs.
Currently, gun violence is the second leading cause of death for young white males and the
number one leading cause for young black males. These programs regarding gun violence hope
to fix this issue with the adolescence crowd and so far they have certainly made a difference. As
of now, the Office of Public Health and Safety administers the Community-Based Violence
Prevention Partnership a grant program which invests $300,000 a year in evidence-based
violence prevention services in Indianapolis neighborhoods. Recently, the funding for CDC
increased to $25 million for public health research. Many people believe that funding should stay
high like it is now in order to make a better attempt at decreasing the amount of gun violence.
Assuming that kids will attend these prevention program meetings, gun violence should
drastically reduce.