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Engaging community residents to prevent violence
Linda K Bowen1, Victoria Gwiasda, M Mitchell Brown
1Institute for Community Peace.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
|March 10, 2004
Summary
Community engagement effectively prevents violence locally. However, developing sustainable strategies for interrelated violence requires further learning, as communities and the prevention field are at different stages.
Area of Science:
- Community psychology
- Public health
- Violence prevention
Background:
- Community engagement is crucial for effective violence prevention.
- Primary prevention strategies need to address multiple forms of violence.
- Disparities exist between community readiness and the violence prevention field's strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if communities can be engaged in local violence prevention.
- To assess the feasibility of linking primary prevention across various violence types.
- To understand the differing levels of readiness for primary violence prevention.
Main Methods:
- Conducted two demonstration projects focused on community engagement.
- Employed locally defined identification and prevention of violence.
- Explored linking primary prevention strategies across different violence forms.
Main Results:
- Community engagement demonstrated effectiveness in primary violence prevention.
- Significant learning is needed in developing and sustaining strategies for interrelated violence.
- Varied levels of preparedness for primary violence prevention were observed between the field and residents.
Conclusions:
- Community-led initiatives are viable for primary violence prevention.
- Addressing interconnected violence requires advanced, sustained strategies.
- Bridging the gap between community and field perspectives is essential for progress.