Did the subjects we discussed and read about in the textbook challenge your perceptions, or at best influence the way you perceive social issues, crime and social inequality?
Since it is very difficult to cover everything in our class subject, and our discussion may have inadvertently omitted a related topic of your interest, perhaps, a subject matter that you would have liked to discuss, tell us about it?
What subject or topic resonated with you the most after taking this class and reading the textbook?
What have you learned after taking this class and reading the textbook?
Day/Date4: Read over your classmates’ comments and chime in on their postings or reply to others who may have commented on your postings.
Day/Date5: Answer more of the questions that I have presented or read over your classmates’ comments and chime in on their postings or reply to others who may have commented on your postings.
Day/Date 6: Read over your classmates’ comments and chime in on their postings or reply to others who may have commented on your postings.
Chapter 11:
Toward violence Prevention
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The
Enduring Problem, 3rd Edition © 2017
SAGE Publications, Inc.
There Is No “Cure”
• There is no “silver bullet” or “cure” for violence.
• “Where do we go from here?” This isn’t an easy
question to answer since there are as many
different solutions to preventing violence as
there are policy makers passing laws.
• We as individuals and as communities can rethink
our responses to the enduring problem of
violence.
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3rd
Edition © 2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.
Costs of Violence
• One estimate suggests that combined, murder,
rape, assault, and robbery costs the United States
over $42 billion annually in medical expenses,
law enforcement, courts, and correctional facility
expenses and lost earnings.
• This translates into $137 dollars for every single
American.
• This doesn’t include intangibles, such as pain,
suffering, and a loss of life quality.
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3rd
Edition © 2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.
Costs of Violence
• 72% of Americans fear becoming a victim of
violent crime when traveling.
• 61% fear being attacked when out alone at
night in their communities.
• 60% acknowledge fear even when they are at
home.
• Because of violence, in other words, we are
less social and communal, and we do not see
the world as a safe and just place.
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3rd
Edition © 2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.
How Do We Know What Works?
• There are literally hundreds of programs
marketed by private businesses or delivered by
government agencies that claim to reduce
particular kinds of violence.
• In order to determine whether a program or
policy has a causal effect on an intended
outcome (e.g., reducing violence), a randomized
control trial (RCT), otherwise known as a true
experimental design, is needed.
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3rd
Edition © 2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.
Criminal Justice Response to Violence
• There are a total of 222 programs listed as
violence prevention on CrimeSolutions.gov.
• Only 54 programs have proven to be effective
when using the search terms “preventing
violence.”
• The majority of these programs are not
directly related to violence prevention but are
instead directed to those factors that are
related to violence, like substance abuse.
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3rd
Edition © 2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.
Problem-Solving Policing
• Problem-solving or problem-oriented
policing generally focuses law enforcement
efforts on proactively solving “problems”
related to crime rather than reactively
responding to calls for service after a crime
has already occurred.
• The goal of such an orientation for law
enforcement agencies is to identify and
resolve underlying problems related to crime.
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3rd
Edition © 2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.
SARA
• Scanning, which involves police identifying
and prioritizing problems that may be causing
crime and disorder.
• Analysis, which involves policy analyzing the
problem to determine appropriate responses.
• Response, where the police implement
interventions to solve the problem(s).
• Assessment, which involves determining
whether the intervention actually worked.
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3rd
Edition © 2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.
Prison Re-entry
• In 2014, there were approximately 6,851,000
people under some form of federal, state, and
local correctional supervision in the United States
including those on probation or parole or in
prison.
• In state prisons, about half of all inmates are
serving time for a violent crime.
• It is extremely difficult for those released from
prison with a criminal record to find suitable
housing and jobs that pay a living wage.
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3rd
Edition © 2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.
Serious Violent Offender Re-entry Initiative Program Model
Source: Lattimore, P., & Visher, C. (2010). The multisite evaluation of SVORI: Summary and synthesis. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3rd
Edition © 2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.
Violence as a Public Health Problem
• Deterrence models and continued criminal justice
interventions are not effective at reducing violence.
• Mandatory minimum sentencing has caused prison
overcrowding.
• SVORI study findings indicate that correctional reentry
programs impose only modest effects on recidivism
outcomes.
• The public health approach differs from the criminal
justice perspective:
• Examines factors related to violence
• Epidemiological approach to understanding the causes of
violence and reducing harm
• Primary prevention and population outreach
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3rd
Edition © 2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.
Fundamentals of a Public Health Approach
1. Rely on community-based methods to identify root causes and sources of the problem.
2. Generate data to identify patterns of risk and protective factors.
3. Identify and monitor trends in the frequency and nature of risk factors.
4. Implement multilevel community interventions grounded in empirical data designed to
reduce or eliminate risk factors or strengthen protective factors.
5. Evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of intervention strategies, and revise tactics
accordingly.
6. Educate the public about the problems and issues as well as what has been shown to be
effective for intervention
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3rd
Edition © 2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.
The Public Health Model of Violence Prevention
Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Public Health Approach to Violent
Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/overview/publichealthapproach.html.
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3rd
Edition © 2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.
Fundamental Violence Prevention Measures
• Reducing inequality
• Decrease/eliminate violent images in media and
entertainment
• Secondary prevention
• Identify high-risk youth without protective factors
• Example: provide after-school activities
• Tertiary prevention
• Intervene in the lives of those already affected
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3rd
Edition © 2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.
Conclusions
• There are few promising violence-reduction
strategies that are implemented by the criminal
justice system.
• The criminal justice system is important for
holding offenders accountable.
• The public health perspective, however, can
enhance and broaden our ability to deal with the
causes of violence in the first place.
• Advocate for a synthesis between the two
platforms/approaches to violence control.
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3rd
Edition © 2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.
Open-Access Student Resources
· SAGE journal articles
· Multimedia resources
and more at study.sagepub.com/alvarez3e
Alvarez/Bachman, Violence: The Enduring Problem, 3 rd Edition
© 2017 SAGE Publications, Inc.
Jose Orozco
Question 5
How would you use what you learned in this class to help others, if you ever had the opportunity?
I plan on working in victim services and maybe transfer to probation. I think this course was a good one
to take considering I will most likely be working with victims of violent acts. I could use what I’ve learned
to help them prevent further victimization. In terms of probation I could help any clients that are having
aggressive and violent tendencies seek out help to stop from those violent urges. Overall, I think it was a
great course and could help anyone in the field of criminal justice and social work.
Austen McMillin
Post 1
Did the subjects we discussed and read about in the textbook challenge your perceptions, or at best
influence the way you perceive social issues, crime and social inequality?
Yes I think the discussions also helped tie things together. It helps to see others points of view on these
topics that are sometimes hard to discuss.
Stella Ugo Obichukwu
3 What did you learn after taking this class and reading the textbook?
The class has been an enjoyable class, because I have learned a lot of things, in fact, the thing I do not
know before, for example, discrimination. Discrimination is the denial of opportunities and equal rights
to individuals and groups, because of prejudice.
Dedra Johnson
Question # 1
Did the subjects we discussed and read about in the textbook challenge your perceptions, or at best
influence the way you perceive social issues, crime, and social inequality? I can honestly say that it did.
The topic that really stood out the most for me was about the death penalty. There were so many
different views on this issue. It really was surprising to me. It truly opened my eyes on how others view
the death penalty.
Taneika Jackson
1. Did the subjects we discuss and read about in the textbook challenge your perceptions, or at best
influence the way you perceive social issues, crime, and social inequality?
Taking this course and being a Correctional Officer has indeed instilled in me a deeper understanding
concerning such topics as the death penalty, serial killers, and violence in the home. I wouldn’t
necessarily say that my perceptions were challenged but again, over the course of the semester, I gained
a wealth of knowledge regarding different theories, statistical data and geographical, offender/victim,
and racial factors that pertain to specific topics of discussion. Reviewing and responding to my peer’s
comments also allowed me to discover a different viewpoint based on their personal experiences. Many
social issues such as the death penalty, abortion and racial inequality have always and will most likely
remain controversial topics of discussion, but I will continue to stay informed, receptive, and prayerful of
the issues affecting our society.
Linda Wells
1. Did the subjects we discussed and read about in the textbook challenge your perceptions, or at best
influence the way you perceive social issues, crime, and social inequality?
The subjects discussed challenged my perceptions and influenced how I now look at social views and
issues. Most issues that are dealt with in society are often ignored and people turn a blind eye, but truth
is it is unfair that people are treated in such a way of disgrace(referring to social inequality). We are all
human and no one is better than the next no matter your economics status, race, or privilege.