Stopping the spread of violence

Cure Violence, formerly known as CeaseFire, is a national public health strategy that reduces gun shootings and killings. The program views violence as a learned behavior that can be prevented using disease control methods. Outreach workers and violence interrupters – raised in the very streets where they work – are trained to identify people most likely to be involved in gun violence and redirect them to make non-violent choices. Concentrating on communities most severely affected by violence, the model uses data to identify potentially violent events and its trained staff of violence interrupters and outreach workers, who keep their fingers on the pulse of what’s happening on the streets.  

Violence is the leading cause of death among young men and boys of color, who are among society’s most vulnerable populations. Cure Violence uses a public health model to reduce gun violence. By treating violence as a learned behavior that can be “unlearned,” Cure Violence offers a solution to a problem that had been seen as unsolvable. It shows that violence doesn’t have to be the accepted norm in the community, thus helping to reduce fear and stress that can have severely toxic effects on vulnerable populations. Current RWJF funding is helping to expand the Cure Violence model across the United States.