Preventing Victimization: Public Health Approaches to Fight Crime

A new idea is catching across the United States: crime and violence spread like viruses do, and a person's overall health is deeply intertwined with a person's safety. Living in a violent neighborhood can wreak havoc on physical and mental well-being, and poor health can, in turn, lead to dangerous behavior. If dangerous behavior is like a contagious disease, perhaps positive relationships can serve as an antidote. Like inoculations against illnesses, some cities are finding that treating a few key carriers of harmful behavior or altering a few environments where the "illness" of disorder thrives, can increase the health and safety of an entire community.

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Author: Nola Joyce, Deputy Police Commissioner, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Sarah Schweig, Senior Writer, Center for Court Innovation

Provider: The Police Chief Magazine

Publication Date: 2014

Publication Type: PDF