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RTI researchers are committed to developing and adopting science-based policies to reduce firearm violence across the U.S.
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, today announced its new Center for Evidence-Based Strategies to Reduce Firearm Violence to address and reduce firearm violence in North Carolina and across the U.S. As part of their comprehensive strategy, the center will focus on intentional coordination, partnering and portfolio development for expanded impact.
Firearm violence is among the five leading causes of death for people aged 1 to 44 in the United States; this includes deaths and injuries that are unintentional, intentionally self-inflicted, caused by interpersonal or mass violence, a result of legal intervention, or of undetermined intent.
Duren Banks, Ph.D., RTI senior vice president, justice practice area, said solutions must involve collaboration among public health, public safety, legal and community organizations.
“Firearm violence is an urgent public health and public safety problem affecting our communities, schools and residents throughout the United States,” said Banks. “Together, we can address this issue with a multifaceted, evidence-based approach to understand, prevent and respond to firearm violence.”
RTI’s new center will prioritize:
- Integrated community violence prevention and intervention strategies that engage public safety, public health, victim service, and community-based organizations to address individual, social and structural correlates of firearm violence.
- Promoting student and school safety by reducing risk and effectively responding to threats of bullying, self-harm, school shooting and other school safety concerns.
- Developing and leveraging data systems and innovative tools to investigate firearm violence and to promote transparency and trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.
- Bringing national resources and evidence-based strategies to better understand, prevent, respond to and reduce firearm violence in North Carolina.
Recent RTI projects include a national evaluation of school safety tip lines demonstrating a correlation between tip lines and a reduction in school violence and the National Case Closed Project, in which RTI is helping law enforcement agencies improve case clearance rates.
Learn more about RTI’s work to reduce firearm violence
