Gun violence in Massachusetts is concentrated in communities most impacted by racism and structural violence, which includes systemic denial of access to economic, educational, and employment opportunities. While Massachusetts consistently has one of the听苍补迟颈辞苍鈥檚听lowest firearm death听rates,听39% of all victims of firearm-related injuries are between the ages of 15-24, and Black youth are 32 times more likely to be hospitalized due to firearm assault than their White counterparts.听The lack of opportunity resultant from disinvestment听in communities of color听constrains young people鈥檚 choices and perpetuates the cycle of violence. A public health approach to youth violence requires stemming violent behavior while addressing upstream causes and centering racial equity, youth development, and trauma-informed practices.听The state of Massachusetts has identified an urgent need to develop and sustain innovative programs for gun violence prevention and intervention in communities where youth and young adults are at elevated risk for violence involvement.听听
As a part of a multi-pronged approach to address this public health crisis, 听(an organization serving justice-involved young adults in the Merrimack听Valley) and听91少女, in partnership with the , launched the Gun Violence Prevention Training Center for Excellence听(TC4E)听in 2019.听The TC4E听delivers听training, technical assistance, and network-building to听DPH Gun Violence Prevention grantees听—听youth and young adult-serving,听gun violence prevention organizations in high-need Massachusetts communities, including Boston, Springfield,听Brockton, New Bedford, Lawrence, and Worcester.听Using a public health approach grounded in racial equity, TC4E equips organizations to align best practices in听street level intervention (streetwork), workforce development and mentorship, mental health,听comprehensive needs assessment, and听community mobilization.听
The听DPH Gun Violence Prevention听grantees share a commitment to working with out-of-school youth and young adults, ages 17-24, who are most at risk of听involvement in听gun violence.听Effective听gun violence听prevention organizations conduct听streetwork听that prevents, interrupts, and responds to violent incidents, while providing youth with services and opportunities.听While the approach of each organization is community-specific, violence prevention professionals share unique experiences and challenges.听听By building a violence prevention network across the state, organizations may leverage their collective impact to advocate for systems-level solutions to听gun violence in their communities.听听听听
