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Chapter One: Prevention

What can we do long before someone engages in gun violence?

Gun violence can be prevented. It doesn’t happen out of the blue, and there are steps we can take long before someone picks up a gun that will help prevent a future shooting. Although gun violence research was limited over the past several decades, there has been good research on mass shooters, in particular.

We know for a fact that perpetrators of mass shootings don’t just “snap.” Instead, gun violence researchers describe a “pathway to violence” that precedes a mass shooting by weeks and months, and sometimes years. We also know that the vast majority of other gun violence, such as suicide, intimate partner violence, and workplace violence, is not random, and that it nearly always involves a person who is in a state of crisis. We don’t have to wait until a person is at the end of the pathway to violence, we don’t have to wait until a person is in crisis, and we don’t even have to wait until we identify a specific person who is at risk for gun violence. Instead, we can start much earlier.

Violence prevention can and should start in early childhood. Early experiences can shape future outcomes, with adverse childhood experiences (or ACEs) increasing the risk of violence later in life. By intervening “upstream” during early childhood, we can effectively address risk factors and promote protective factors. Investing in this stage is more effective and cost-efficient than intervening later, and it allows us to build the necessary resilience and coping skills. Developing those traits in early childhood not only helps prevent violence later and leads to safer communities, it also promotes healthier individuals and families, providing long-term societal benefits beyond violence prevention.

Schools are ideally situated to play a pivotal role upstream, providing structured environments for education, mentorship, and support for students and their families. Initiatives such as conflict resolution programs, mental health counseling services, and extracurricular activities can help address underlying issues and promote positive behavior among students. Additionally, leveraging community-based resources such as after-school programs, youth centers, and recreational facilities can complement school efforts. The success of those efforts will largely depend on buy-in and participation from parents. By combining school-based interventions with community-based resources, and directly engaging parents and families, we can create a comprehensive approach to violence prevention that supports the healthy development and well-being of all children and adolescents, not just those who are at risk for future violence.

The upstream recommendations below reflect a wide range of approaches all aimed at building strength and resilience, teaching conflict resolution skills, and promoting positive peer interactions. As noted below, many of these programs are evidence-based and proven. Others are supported by emerging evidence or show promise based on adjacent programs or research. We include references to the available research and evidence below. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, these programs can be implemented in almost any community.

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