If Violence is a Disease, Then Violence Interrupters Are The Doctors

Mission

To reduce violence globally using disease control and behavior change methods.

Goals

1. Implement the Cure Violence model in urban areas around the world.
2. Shift the thinking, policy, and practice as it relates to violence such that it is seen primarily as health issue.

Vision

Cure Violence envisions a world without violence.

We want to change the mindset of everyone away from “bad” people and toward understanding violent behavior as people with health problems. We ultimately want to shift the worldview of violence away from prosecution and focus more on prevention. If we can convince more and more people to properly re-understand violence as a disease, then we can treat it accordingly by stopping the epidemic, reversing it and curing it.

Work 

Cure Violence primarily provides communities the training and technical assistance to implement the Cure Violence model. Communities come to us to learn how they can implement the epidemic control method correctly. We are currently focusing our efforts on three parts of the world: the United States, Latin America, and the Middle East/North Africa.

History

Cure Violence was founded by Gary Slutkin, M.D., Professor of Epidemiology and International Health at the University of Illinois/Chicago School of Public Health, (as CeaseFire Chicago) in 2000 with the goal of reducing shootings and homicides in Chicago. Cure Violence launched in West Garfield Park, one of the most violent communities in Chicago, and was quick to produce results reducing shootings by 67% in its first year. From 2000-2008, Cure Violence (then CeaseFire Chicago) focused its activities in the United States, starting in Chicago but quickly expanding to Baltimore, New York, New Orleans, Oakland, Puerto Rico and other sites. In 2008, Cure Violence began its first international adaptation and replication of the methodology in Basrah, Iraq. Since then, international programs have been added in South Africa (Hanover Park), United Kingdom (London), Kenya (Nairobi and Rift valley), Honduras (San Pedro Sula), and Colombia (Barranquilla).

The Cure Violence sites in Chicago, Baltimore, and New York have all been externally evaluated, demonstrating strong results across the board. In June 2009, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Jr. referenced Cure Violence as an example of “a rational, data-driven, evidence-based, smart approach to crime – the kind of approach that this Administration is dedicated to pursuing and supporting.”