At the Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP), this scientific discipline focuses on the prevention of violent injury among youth by strengthening communities. Its approach is unique because participatory-based research is conducted in collaboration with community and neighborhood groups. All share equally in the planning, leadership, analysis and dissemination of Violence Prevention research results.
In partnership with community-based organizations and community members, CIRP’s Violence Prevention research projects seek to understand how violence affects the lives of young people, as well as how the physical environment influences aggressive and criminal behavior. A key goal is to learn how to best share research results with the community and how to incorporate community feedback into the design of research. An example of this involved a central research project that adapted promising models of primary violence prevention programs for youth in specific Philadelphia neighborhoods. CIRP’s Violence Prevention research team also hosts Community Driven Research Day annually to encourage collaboration between researchers, community-based organizations (CBOs), and community groups.
Our researchers are also an integral part of the Philadelphia Collaborative Violence Prevention Center (PCVPC). PCVPC serves as the Philadelphia headquarters of the National Network of Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs (NNHVIP), a partnership of programs around the country that provides intervention services to individuals being treated for violent injuries.
Visit phillyviolenceprevention.org for more information on Violence Prevention Research and other initiatives at CIRP, including the CHOP Violence Intervention Program (VIP).