This thesis research examines the relationship between exposure to violence and perceived cognitive difficulties among high school students utilizing data from the Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey (ABES) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Funded through an MPower grant, this effort aims to analyze police data and shock trauma data in Baltimore to integrate public health and public safety knowledge and better understand the overlap between gun violence victims and offenders.  The purpose of the research is to better understand trends and community perceptions of gun violence by using a collaborative, community-based approach to identify modifiable risk factors for violence prevention.

Read more: https://bsos.umd.edu/academics-research/mpower-grant-funds-new-research-project-focused-comparing-firearm-violence.

PROGRESS is conducting an assessment study on the effectiveness of Community Violence Intervention (CVI) street outreach programs.  Funded by Arnold Ventures, the study uses in-depth interviews, focus groups, field observation, and digital storytelling with Community Violence Interrupters, participants, and site directors/program managers of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in Washington, DC. 

Funded by New Ventures Fund and in collaboration with Elinore Kaufman (University of Pennsylvania) and Dr. Desmond Patton (University of Pennsylvania), this project uses a qualitative research methods approach (e.g., interviews and focus groups) with community violence intervention (CVI) program staff and violently injured patients treated at the University of Pennsylvania hospital to understand the relationship between social media and violence in Philadelphia.

This project documents the stories of women in Baltimore who are survivors of gun violence, focusing on their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Funded by the Abell Foundation, this effort seeks to facilitate a community of peer support and elevate the voices of women impacted by gun violence.

• Principal Investigator: Celia Chen (UMD graduate student)
• Description of Project: The increasing prevalence of school shootings in the United States has led to a growing reliance on safety technologies to prevent and mitigate these tragic events. However, the effectiveness of these technologies and their impact on school communities remains understudied, particularly in the context of social media discourse. This project aims to address this gap by employing a mixed-methods approach, combining thematic and computational text analysis of social media data with participatory action research in collaboration with Prince George's County (PGC) District 2 public schools. Through thematic analysis, natural language processing, and sentiment analysis of social media posts from 2010 to the present, we will examine the evolution of public narratives surrounding school safety technologies in the wake of school shootings. Simultaneously, our partnership with PGC District 2 public schools will provide valuable insights into the realities of community safety and the perceived effectiveness of existing measures.

• Principal Investigator: Nadine Finigan-Carr (University of Maryland, Baltimore faculty)
• Description of Project: The goal of this project is to examine the role of media (print, broadcast, digital) in accurately and fairly reporting on issues related to gun violence. We propose to produce a written report providing a meta-analysis of media depiction of gun violence in Maryland. Specifically, we seek to analyze the media, including by not necessarily limited to, radio, print and local television news, and their depictions of topics related to gun violence throughout the state over a period of roughly 5 years (2019-2024). We will produce an analysis of depiction of the accused, victims, and what the media isolates as the causes of gun violence and what is presented as solutions. The goal will be to compare these depictions with an analysis of a historical understanding of inequality, structural violence, the war on drugs, and lived experiences of those who have lived in communities impacted by gun violence to check for accuracy and conceptual limitations and blind spots in these media representations. There will be a particular focus on isolating consistent themes in this coverage and comparing these depictions to historical tropes around historical notions tied to Black youth, Black families, and anxieties around community control of public safety and public resources. The analysis will conclude with an analysis of the political implications of these depictions, relating them to changes in criminal justice policy and government decisions around funding police and community based anti-violence programs.

• Principal Investigators: Mengxue Li and Ruibo Han (UMD faculty)
• Description of Project: The proposed project aims to leverage the power of GeoAI (Geospatial Artificial Intelligence) to identify and implement effective strategies for gun violence prevention and reduction.  Specifically, the project will undertake three key objectives: (1) Build an integrated gun violence data platform to provide data-driven insights into patterns, trends, demographics, and socio-economic factors related to gun violence. (2) Develop GeoAI-based spatial models to understand gun violence and its influencing factors, thereby
  informing evidence-based strategies for intervention, prevention, and policy advocacy. (3) Publish Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) apps for various users, facilitating Community Violence Intervention (CVI) efforts, increasing community awareness, promoting dialogue and collaboration, and empowering communities to take meaningful actions.

For more on this project, please see:

• https://geospatial.umd.edu/news/umd-researchers-harness-geoai-combat-gun-violence
• https://intgeocenter.org/center-news/Center-researchers-secure-funding-for-AI-to%20combat-gunviolence 

Course Instructor: Dr. Joseph Richardson

Description: Gun violence is the leading cause of death and disability among African-American children and adult men between the ages of 15-44. Structural violence conceptualizes the ways social structures, institutions and systems are complicit in the harm of specific populations (e.g., shortened life expectancy among African Americans). These harms are often preventable. Structural and interpersonal violence, specifically community firearm violence, impacts the physical, psychological, social and emotional well-being, and quality of life of African-Americans, a demographic disproportionately impacted by the harms caused by structural and interpersonal violence. Using an interdisciplinary, structural justice and anti-racist approach this course examines the intersection of structural violence, interpersonal violence and trauma in African-American communities impacted by gun violence.

Link to Course Catalog: AASP499U

Course Instructor: Dr. Woodie Kessel

Description: This course examines the formulation, implementation and evaluation of health policy. Health care policies determine who receives health benefits, what type of care is available, who administers care, how frequently care is provided, and how much care will cost. These policy decisions are critical in influencing the health and well-being of our society. The course also explores the complexities and challenges facing the American healthcare system. Students will formulate a policy brief and conduct an impact analysis to better understand the potential benefits and costs of health policies addressing issues such as gun violence prevention, child health, health reform, infant mortality, teen pregnancy, smoking cessation or injury prevention.

Link to Course Catalog: FGSM320/HNUH328T

Course Instructor: Dr. Joseph Richardson

Description: Supervised research activity within the African American Studies Department. This course is for both majors and non-majors who seek to work for a faculty member on their research project(s) and/or work in their research lab as a Research Assistant (RA). The purpose of this course is to expose undergraduate students to theories and methods used to understand the lives and experiences of Black people across the diaspora via hands-on/applied research experience. A faculty member must agree to supervise your research activity before students can enroll for course credit.

Link to Course Catalog: AASP479