The Violent Crime Research Portfolio develops and advances evidence-based strategies to prevent and reduce intentional, interpersonal violence — including gang and organized crime activity, firearm violence, and violence within communities — and targeted violent crime, such as mass shootings, domestic and transnational terrorism, and political violence. This is accomplished by supporting rigorous multidisciplinary research and evaluation on strategies, programs, and technologies used by public safety and justice system agencies and organizations that inform public safety policies and practices and address other evolving public safety challenges.
NIJ’s Violent Crime Research Portfolio advances knowledge and informs multifaceted violence prevention and reduction-oriented responses across the justice system. The portfolio addresses various, often interconnected, forms of violent crime, including gang and organized crime activity, firearm violence, and violence within communities, as well as targeted violence, such as mass shootings, domestic and transnational terrorism, and political violence. This enables NIJ to coordinate research investments, identify shared risk factors, and promote integrated strategies that reflect the realities faced by communities and justice system agencies and organizations. This portfolio reflects NIJ’s commitment to advancing evidence-based strategies that promote safety and justice in various communities across the United States (e.g., rural, suburban, urban, and border communities ).
NIJ-supported research plays a critical role in advancing basic knowledge about the nature, dynamics, and trajectories of violent crime. Studies often rely on multiple methods and data sources, including primary data — such as interviews and surveys — and secondary sources, including administrative records, open-source datasets, and integrated justice system data. In addition to understanding the drivers of violence, the portfolio prioritizes research that identifies risk and protective factors that influence the likelihood of violent offending. It also supports studies that examine how the criminal justice system can respond more effectively to violence and how responses can be informed by the perspectives and experiences of victims, family members, and communities most affected. A core emphasis of the portfolio is the evaluation of violence prevention and reduction programs and policies, including criminal justice and community-based strategies that address gang and organized crime activity, firearm violence, community violence, and targeted violent crime. By supporting various types of evaluations, NIJ generates actionable insights into what works, who benefits, and the necessary conditions required to achieve results. These studies employ a variety of methods, from randomized trials to mixed methods and administrative data linkages to assessments of program effectiveness, scalability, and implementation in real-world settings. The portfolio also supports research on programs incorporating investigative tools and technology-driven strategies — such as crime gun intelligence approaches, gunshot detection systems, and threat assessment tools — to advance violence prevention and response.
This portfolio informs decision-making across the justice system and beyond. It supports multidisciplinary collaboration among law enforcement, policymakers, service providers, and community leaders and bolsters community resilience. As the violence landscape evolves, NIJ’s research remains responsive to dynamic and complex threats. Sister agencies across OJP and DOJ and external entities such as local law enforcement, schools, and local governments use these findings to inform programs, practices, public safety strategies, and service systems supporting victims of violent crime and their families. This integrated approach streamlines dissemination to practitioners, supports consistent methodological standards across related studies, and enables NIJ to more effectively respond to shifting trends that cross traditional boundaries and affect various communities.
Research Priority 1: Evaluate the effectiveness, implementation, and costs of strategies, practices, programs, and technologies used by federal, state, local, and tribal public safety and justice agencies and organizations to prevent and reduce violent crime and targeted violent crime in communities.
| Number | Question |
|---|---|
| Research Question 1.1 | What are the short-, intermediate-, and long-term effects of key violent crime initiatives[1] on violent crime outcomes[2], targeted violence incidents, investigative and prosecutorial outcomes, and community safety? |
| Research Question 1.2 | How do different implementation models, operational practices, and collaborative structures[3] influence the effectiveness, sustainability, and scalability of these strategies across various communities? |
| Research Question 1.3 | What are the costs, resource requirements, and broader system-level implications of adopting and integrating these approaches across different types of jurisdictions, and how can agencies assess cost-effectiveness, scalability, and potential unintended impacts on operations and communities? |
Research Priority 2: Advance knowledge about violent crime, both fatal and nonfatal, in various communities to strengthen the ability of public safety and justice system agencies and organizations to detect, prevent, and disrupt violent crime.
| Number | Question |
|---|---|
| Research Question 2.1 | What are the causes, correlates, trajectories, and consequences of violent crime involvement in and across various communities? |
| Research Question 2.2 | How are gangs and other organized groups adapting to changes in technology, migration patterns, and law-enforcement practices, and what challenges and risks do these dynamics create for investigations, the safety and well-being of public safety personnel, and public safety? |
| Research Question 2.3 | How do social, institutional, economic, and community factors[4] shape levels and patterns of violent crime, and what data, analytic tools, and measurement strategies are needed to help law enforcement agencies monitor, anticipate, and respond to these patterns? |
Priority 3: Advance knowledge about targeted violent crime — such as political violence, terrorism, mass shootings, and other attacks directed at specific people, groups, or locations — to strengthen the ability of public safety and justice system agencies and organizations to detect, prevent, and disrupt these threats.
| Number | Question |
|---|---|
| Research Question 3.1 | What are the causes, correlates, pathways, and precursors associated with mobilization and escalation to targeted violent crime, and how do behavioral and situational indicators, prior history of violence (e.g., domestic violence), and other risk and protective factors shape these trajectories? |
| Research Question 3.2 | How can threat identification, assessment, and management practices in schools, workplaces, community settings, and justice agencies be strengthened to prevent and disrupt targeted violent crime? |
| Research Question 3.3 | What roles do communities, institutions, and public safety agencies and organizations play in preventing, mitigating, and recovering from targeted violent crime, and which prevention, intervention, disengagement, and community resilience strategies are most effective and sustainable over time? |
Priority 4: Strengthen data collection, measurement, and methods on violent crime and targeted violent crime; improve incident-level data on nonfatal shootings and other violent crimes; enhance integration of law enforcement and other administrative data; and develop advanced analytic tools.
| Number | Question |
|---|---|
| Research Question 4.1 | What are the most effective approaches for accurately capturing information on nonfatal shootings and other violent crimes[5] — including violent crimes against law enforcement, gang or organized crime involvement, circumstances, and other relevant spatiotemporal characteristics — across law enforcement, public health, and other data systems? |
| Research Question 4.2 | How can improved data infrastructure and linkage[6] support longitudinal tracking of violent and targeted violent crime trends and patterns in various communities, and what policies and practices are needed to ensure data quality, timeliness, and appropriate use? |
| Research Question 4.3 | What innovative data sources and analytic methods[7] can enhance the detection, monitoring, and prevention of violent and targeted violent crime, and how can these tools be implemented in ways that protect public and law enforcement safety and privacy? |
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