Centering Youth in Community Violence Interventions as Part of a Comprehensive Approach to Countering Gun Violence

This policy brief draws on Sentencing Project analysis, CDC data, and law enforcement statistics to identify youth gun violence data trends, highlight the racial disparities in victimization by gun violence, and frame the problem of gun violence within the societal factors that create it. It presents new empirical research and synthesizes evidence supporting a public health framework for reducing youth gun violence. It then translates that evidence into programmatic and policy recommendations for youth-centered community violence intervention programming that addresses the root causes of violence through credible community messengers, trauma-informed services, and wraparound support.