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Murder has become the number one cause of death for young people (1–34 years old) in Chicago-- and for many major cities in the U.S. For centuries, the principal method of trying to reduce violence was to arrest, imprison, or avenge -- despite the fact that these approaches often made things worse. In fact, research indicates that environment, social contexts, and group pressures shape violence. These same dynamics, if reshaped, can in many instances undo it. Dr. Gary Slutkin has designed, tested, and begun implementing a successful and well-documented new approach to reducing violence: CeaseFire
CeaseFire focuses on groups at risk (marginalized neighborhood youth, gangs, etc.), drawing upon youths once involved in violence and training them to transform those who are still involved. At the same time, the program has the vital component of drawing upon the local community to help provide localized responses to every single shooting or other act of violence that occurs. This involves bringing in local institutions, such as churches, respected neighborhood individuals, neighborhood associations, all joined in a combined public education and clergy outreach to help further reinforce and guide a transformation in behavior. The results have proved astounding.
In the areas in which Dr. Slutkin’s program has taken hold, violence has fallen to the lowest levels recorded in over forty years. The statistics give further evidence of the dramatic transformation: A 45% drop in shootings in Chicago communities. In the second most violent police beat in the city: a 67% drop in shootings within the first year of implementation. Since these first results were obtained: six other communities in and out of Chicago have witnessed a 45% drop in shootings. Reductions in levels of violence are even greater after two to five years after the program’s implementation: Up to a 75% drop in shootings.
A specialist in internal medicine and infectious disease control, Dr. Slutkin works full time on preventing and reducing violence in underserved communities. Throughout his career in medicine, Dr. Slutkin has tackled difficult assignments to make a difference -- from spending fifteen years combating the AIDS epidemic in Africa, providing medical aid to refugees, to assisting inner city communities in their transformation. It was his work in Uganda toward hindering the spread of AIDS/HIV that Dr. Slutkin developed the elements of community involvement as crucial means to achieve a breakthrough in intervention. His work reflects his deep care and commitment to make a difference globally by acting locally, whether overseas or in the forgotten and often forsaken cities of America.
To learn more about Dr. Slutkin and his cause, and how you can make a difference, please visit:
www.ceasefirechicago.org.
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