GUN VIOLENCE RESOURCES
Podcasts and Stories
FIRSTHAND is a multiplatform initiative from WTTW, in partnership with The Trace. It offers stories of individuals affected by gun violence, expert talks, and gun violence news.
Podcast by WBEZ (Chicago’s NPR member station) that interviews key stakeholders of gun violence to understand, “In Chicago, who picks up a gun, and why?”
A public health podcast from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, offering several insightful episodes on gun violence, suicide, and vacant lots.
“Complicating the Narrative is a podcast series produced by Authors and staff at ConTextos with the goal of adding context beyond misconceptions commonly associated with people living in communities facing poverty and barriers to economic development due to racism, violence, and trauma.”
Skinny Trees: Lift Health for All
A podcast from Northwestern University’s Center for Health Equity Transformation - see season 2, episode 5 ("Preventing Gun Violence in Chicago Ft. Noam Ostrander, Terry William & Valerie Burgest") and season 2, episode 6 ("Community Health Equity: A Chicago Reader" with Raj Shah and Fernando De Maio).
Policy, Law, and Research
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Firearm violence prevention facts, articles, and funded research and surveillance project descriptions.
A think tank that offers reports and whitepapers on gun violence.
A nonprofit organization against gun violence with information targeted towards several stakeholders (e.g., local leaders, survivors, parents).
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
A resource for accessible and timely information on gun policies and legislation.
"The Trace is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit newsroom dedicated to shining a light on America's gun violence crisis."
Online Course
Reducing Gun Violence in America: Evidence for Change
Free Coursera course, "Reducing Gun Violence in America: Evidence for Change is designed to provide learners with the best available science and insights from top scholars across the country as well as the skills to understand which interventions are the most effective to offer a path forward for reducing gun violence in our homes, schools, and communities."
Evidence-Based Approaches to Address Violence
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Technical Packages for Violence Prevention
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed technical packages to help states and communities take advantage of the best available evidence to prevent violence."
Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development
Blueprints certifies "effective violence, crime, substance abuse and delinquency prevention programs and interventions that promote prosocial behavior, academic success and emotional and physical health."
National Institute of Justice: Crime Solutions
Crime Solutions provides evidence for programs and practices related to crime prevention for "knowing what has worked and what hasn't."
Data
WISQARS™ — Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System
“CDC’s WISQARS™ is an interactive, online database that provides fatal and nonfatal injury, violent death, and cost of injury data. Researchers, the media, public health professionals, and the public can use WISQARS™ data to learn more about the public health and economic burden associated with unintentional and violence-related injury in the United States.”
“The Gun Violence Archive is an online archive of gun violence incidents collected from over 7,500 law enforcement, media, government and commercial sources daily in an effort to provide near-real time data about the results of gun violence.”
Chicago Police Department data from 1965 - present
Tracking Chicago shooting victims
“The Chicago Tribune crime team tracks shooting victims in Chicago. Data represents number of victims, not shooting incidents. Homicide data can be found here. This page will be updated weekly.”
A data visualization of U.S. gun deaths in 2018 and "stolen years" that results from these deaths.
Illinois Resources
Gun Violence Prevention Education Center & Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence
“The Gun Violence Prevention Education Center (GPEC) and the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (ICHV) are combining forces to be a preeminent leader in the fight to reduce death and injury caused by gun violence in Illinois through education, research, organizing and enforcement around public policy.”
Gun Violence Prevention Action Committee
“The Gun Violence Prevention Action Committee (GVPAC) advocates for common sense, evidence-based, gun violence prevention measures that will save lives in Illinois. The Committee pursues this mission by (1) encouraging grassroots activism through community outreach and legislative action, 2) sharing information and resources, 3) fostering collaboration and connections among advocates who are working to reduce all types of violence, and (4) working in partnership with key stakeholders, including faith and community groups, families and survivors of gun violence, law enforcement and elected officials to end the gun violence crisis in Illinois.”