Hospital-based violence intervention programs steer victims to safer, productive lives. Research shows challenges to reducing assaults on a broad scale.
The question is, what impact can HVIPs reasonably be expected to achieve? Dozens of studies, and the experiences of program staff, have spotlighted their potential; the programs have improved the lives of countless people, often in areas of their lives that extend beyond the direct risk of violence. Their aggregate impact remains to be determined. They have not yet been shown, through large-scale clinical research studies, to reduce violence among people enrolled in the programs. What’s more, experts caution that HVIPs cannot be expected to overcome on their own all the factors that contribute to violence their communities.
Dr. Patrick Carter speaks with the Association of American Medical Colleges about what the data shows around hospital-based violence intervention programs