Research and Evaluation of Boston Community Violence Prevention and Intervention Initiative (CVIPI)

Principal Researcher: Erika Gebo, PhD
Co-Researcher: Carlos Monteiro, PhD
Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice

Logos for CVIPI, Suffolk University, and Boston Public Health Commission 

About the Project

This grant research project will conduct research and evaluation of the Boston Community Violence Intervention & Prevention Initiative (CVIPI). The project has three main goals:

  • Support Planning for Implementation (Phase 1 – Year 1): Assist in the planning of CVIPI strategies and actions and support development of a theory of change for initiative.
  • Process Evaluation (Phase 2 – Years 2 & 3): Examine how well the implementation of strategies and actions adhere to the planned strategy, uses evidence-informed practices, delivers programs, and aligns with the theory of change.
  • Outcome Evaluation (Years 4 & 5): Assess individual-level outcomes and explore community-level impacts, emphasizing restorative principles, cultural responsiveness, and inclusivity.

Boston’s CVIPI Project: Federal funds awarded under a grant to the Boston Public Health Commission will engage with agencies, participants from agencies, and residents of areas of Boston most in need of attention to create an implement a violence intervention and prevention plan that will address individual, family, and community well-being. By focusing on culturally sensitive healing from trauma and building positive connections to others and to communities for returning citizens and their caregivers, individuals, families, and communities will be strengthened and community violence will be reduced.

Research Methodology

Participatory action research is used throughout the research project. This means that those who are most impacted by violence are given equal opportunities to participate in the research, from developing strategies to collect data, to developing instruments to collect that data, to interpreting results from the data. In other words, stakeholders that include agency participants, staff, and residents will actively engage in shaping the research methodology, developing data collection tools, and interpreting the findings.
This research project will employ both qualitative and quantitative methods to understand the effects of the project.

Data sources include

  • Semi-structured Interviews with returning citizens engaged in services with funded agencies.
  • Focus Groups held with caregivers of returning citizens and with community stakeholders to develop a causal model for community violence prevention
  • Observations at meeting and events

In order to determine the intermediate and long-term effects of Boston’s initiative, the research will look at data on violence, victimization, and restorative-centered health and well-being. During the last year of the study, stakeholders from the community will work together to develop a workable causal model that emphasizes family support and general well-being in order to reduce community violence.

Study Significance

By using inclusive and culturally sensitive methods and collaborating with individuals who are most impacted by community violence, this research closes a gap in ensuring that research is equitable. Through this work, we collectively seek to increase knowledge of practical tactics for lowering community violence, with a focus on restorative practices and outcomes for those who have experienced violence. Furthermore, as the field of violence intervention increasingly adopts a public health perspective, the empirical assessment of a public health-led violence reduction initiative with a diverse group of stakeholders will offer insightful information on how we can improve our scientific knowledge of best practices in collaborative community work.

CVIPI Community Partners:

For More Information: Erika Gebo 617-557-1594
Acknowledgement: Special thanks to Jainaba Conteh for website curation.

This project was supported by Award No. 15PNIJ-23-GG-04265-CVIP, awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the Department of Justice.

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