Successful approaches to community violence intervention and prevention

The field of injury prevention and control is diverse, cross-cutting, and has attracted the efforts of individuals from multiple disciplines. Many types of interventions have been applied in the area on intentional injury, specifically interpersonal violence. The results have been variable with few projects demonstrating scientific efficacy. Among the acknowledged stumbling blocks have been issues of project design, and deficiencies in the incorporation of communities into project development and implementation. This article discusses those elements that are critical to the creation of any community-based violence prevention intervention and offers guidelines for establishing a project's community context.