IVRP - Welcome
The Institute for Violence Research and Prevention (IVRP) at Saint Joseph's University was launched in April 2001. The IVRP brings an interdisciplinary approach to the study of violence in order to improve intervention and prevention efforts. The Institute seeks to foster partnerships with other Philadelphia and regional institutions, community groups and non-profit organizations with the goal of combining comprehensive research into all aspects of violent behavior with feasible programs to reduce and prevent violence. The IVRP is currently engaged in several research projects that address the many aspects of violent behavior, its root causes and possible prevention. In addition the IVRP is currently assembling an Advisory Board made up of scholars, practitioners and community representatives that will assist in coordinating research and prevention programs undertaken at the Institute.
Violence Awareness Week: February 20 - 27, 2008
Last year, there were 392 homicides in the city of Philadelphia, a slight decrease from the 406 homicides in 2006, and these numbers show the continuous struggle with a spiraling increase in urban violence. What can we do to address this issue? As both a university community that has been directly confronted by this violence, and as a Jesuit university striving to engender "men and women for others," we need to think about our response and responsibility.
The IVRP held a week-long Teach-In and asked interested faculty to address the issue of violence in their classrooms, so that a variety of disciplines with their different perspectives could approach the topic of violence with their students. The goal was to engage the Saint Joseph's University community in a campus-wide conversation about violence, particularly as it relates to the larger community in which we are situated, the city of Philadelphia.
For the first event of Violence Awareness Week, the IVRP hosted its Second Annual Candlelight Vigil to memorialize the 392 homicide victims killed in Philadelphia in 2007, on February 20, 2008 in the Chapel of Saint Joseph. The Vigil kicked-off a week-long anti-violence initiative to engage the community in a campus-wide conversation from a multi-disciplinary perspective.
The Violence Awareness Week also included a Teach-In component, designed to bring the University community together in conversation addressing urban violence, and offered outlets for anti-violence measures and area volunteer opportunities. We appreciate the efforts of faculty and students who took part in our violence awareness-raising mission, and hope you will find the links below informative and useful. Some questions to consider:
- How much does violence cost society in economic terms?
- What are the social contexts in which violence is more likely to occur?
- What are the psychological impacts of exposure to community violence?
- What kind of ethics determine our current responses to violent crime?
- What kind of Blueprints can be instituted for violence and drug-abuse prevention measures?
In addition to the Vigil and Teach-In, there will be a panel of experts on the issue of violence, on February 21st during free period, in the library, to discuss Restorative Justice, Conflict Resolution, Public Health, Youth Violence, the Justice System and Adjudication, and Faith-Based Violence Initiatives as they relate to violence in our cities. Additional resources to consider:
Please see resources for Criminal Justice and Violence in Philadelphia from the Drexel Library collection, which includes News Media links and local Organizations and Initiatives to get involved with.
- Media Violence and Aggression:
- Anderson & Dill (2000). Video Games and Aggressive Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior in the Laboratory and in Life.
- Science Daily (Dec. 10, 2007). This Is Your Brain on Violent Media.
- Uhlmann & Swanson (2003). Exposure to Violent Video Games Increases Automatic Aggressiveness.
- Guns and Violent Deaths:
- Klinesmith, Kasser, & McAndrew (2006). Guns, Testosterone, and Aggression: An experimental test of a mediational hypothesis.
- Brady Campaign figures: Gun Statistics and the Top 10 Violent U.S. Cities in 2006.
- Poverty:
- Kai Ryssdal (June 4, 2007). Marketplace: Crime and the gap between rich and poor.
- Weatherburn & Lind (1998). Poverty, Parenting, Peers and Crime-Prone Neighbourhoods.
- Justice and Prevention:
- Interview with Father Greg Boyle, on WHYY-FM by Terry Gross (Feb. 17, 2004). Jesuit Priest Greg Boyle has worked with gangs in East Los Angeles since 1986, and has received national acclaim for helping the poor, young, and predominately Latino population he works with find jobs and quality schooling opportunities.
- Texas seeks alternatives for recidivism rates for juvenile delinquents: Texas system (over 50%) vs. Missouri system (7.3%), on NPR by Jason Beaubien (Oct. 31, 2007). Crisis-Prone Texas Juvenile Facilities Look to Reform.
- Youth Center takes innovative approach, on NPR by Jason Beaubien (Oct. 30, 2007). Missouri Sees Teen Offenders as Kids, Not Inmates.
- Role of Self-Esteem and Violence:
- Baumeister, Bushman, & Campbell (2000). Self-Esteem, Narcissism, and Aggression: Does Violence Result From Low Self-Esteem or From Threatened Egotism?
- Ecological Factors and Violent Crime:
- Masters, Hone, & Doshi (2007). Environmental Pollution, Neurotoxicity, and Criminal Violence.
- Masters (1999). Neuroscience, Toxic Chemicals and ADD/ADHD: Presentation + Questions and Answers for ADD - Holistic Discussion Group.
Finally, the Faith-Justice Outreach Lecture, From Outrage to Outreach: Working Towards a Less Violent City, on February 27th capped off the Week on Violence, and it featured guest lecturer Scott Charles, Trauma Outreach Coordinator from Temple University Hospital, discussing the experience of urban violence from the lens of the trauma team of the busiest emergency department in the region.