An Assessment of Violence Prevention and Intervention Programs in Michigan: Policy and Programmatic Insights and Implications

Abstract

In-depth telephone interviews were conducted with 134 individuals from violent crime prevention and intervention programs in Michigan. Primary areas of inquiry included program focus and activities, target audience characteristics, research and evaluation efforts, and barriers and needs for successful implementation. The three most common programmatic areas dealt with violent crimes against women, and the three most common programmatic activities included public presentations, public education, and counseling. Programs provided services to females more then males, adolescents and young adults more than other age groups, and victims more than perpetrators. By far the biggest barrier was funding, and the biggest needs concerned program evaluation, data collection and analyses methods, and knowledge about behavioral change theory. Implications for violent crime prevention and intervention policy and programs are discussed.