Violence Interrupters

Conflict is a normal part of life. However, in a country where guns outnumber people, altercations can become deadly. Disagreements disproportionately turn violent in marginalized communities plagued with disinvestment, oppression, and a history of trauma. We must look to intervention models that work to prevent neighborhood gun violence.

Violence interrupters offer a unique, community-led approach to reducing violence and conflict. But concerningly, funding for these programs is now under threat.

For decades, policymakers have debated how to address the epidemic of gun violence affecting communities across the United States. Traditionally, localities have responded to community-level violence by increasing the presence of a militarized police force. This approach has repeatedly failed, with sometimes fatal consequences that compound trauma and increase the likelihood of future violence. 

Violence interrupter programs are community-based initiatives that use peacebuilding approaches to stop incidents of community violence before they occur. These programs take people who understand the challenges unique to their community and utilize that knowledge to interrupt violence.

Instead of giving the Pentagon and weapons contractors an additional $16.4 billion to fund their wish list for weapons and war, the American people deserve to get their own unfunded needs met. This year, FCNL’s People’s Unfunded Priorities List highlights four key areas where these additional funds could be better spent supporting human needs.

June is Gun Violence Awareness Month. While the terrible and growing number of high-profile mass shootings continues to make news, these events represent just a fraction of the toll that gun violence extracts. Community-level shootings, acts of intimate partner violence, and suicides comprise most gun violence incidents in this country.

In March, more than 300 young adults converged in Washington, D.C,. (and online) to learn a new strategy for making our communities safer from gun violence: violence interrupter programs.

Every day, 321 people are shot in the United States. For decades policymakers have debated how to address the scourge of gun violence, often defaulting to a militarized police response. This solution has repeatedly failed, with sometimes fatal consequences. We need a new way forward, and a promising solution does exist. That’s where FCNL’s network of young adult advocates comes in.

The bipartisan gun reform bill passed in June 2022 was a significant step forward. But Congress has far more work to do to address gun violence, particularly at the community level.