INJURY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION (IVP) BRANCH

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Violence Prevention Resource Hub

This page provides a curated collection of research, practical tools, and innovative initiatives dedicated to preventing violence and creating healthier communities across California. Local public health departments, decisionmakers, community leaders and community members can utilize these resources to understand violence, its impact, and how we can work together to toward a future where every Californian lives, learns, and thrives free from violence.

Violence Prevention Initiative Reports and Documents

Violence Prevention Resources & Other Publications

Firearm-related

Risk Education to Prevent Gun Violence: A Roadmap for Policy Makers and Advocates (Project Unloaded) - New!
Prevention and Intervention Library (Kaiser Permanente Center for Gun Violence Research and Education) - New!
California Public Health Roadmap for Firearm Violence (California Department of Public Health Violence Prevention Initiative)
Firearm Violence: A Public Health Crisis in America (The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory 2024)
Together is where we save lives: A messaging guide for California advocates working to reduce injuries and fatalities from firearms (Berkeley Media Studies Group)
Prevent Firearm Suicide (Education Fund to Stop Gun Violence)
A Roadmap for using a public health approach to prevent firearm injury (ASTHO)
Implementation Toolkit for Gun Safety Laws (Giffords Law Center)
Firearm-Related Injuries and Deaths in Children and Youth: Injury Prevention and Harm Reduction (American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement)
Gun Violence Prevention Platform (LA County Public Health)

Behavioral Health, Youth & Adolescents

California Surgeon General's Roadmap for Resilience (PDF, 15.7 MB) (California Surgeon General)
Community Violence Prevention: Resource for Action (CDC)

Primary Prevention

Community Safety Realized: Public Health Pathways to Preventing Violence (PDF, 5.7 MB) (Prevention Institute)
A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty (National Academies)
Building Equity into Safer States (PDF, 23.9 MB) (Safe States Alliance)
Mapping Out Injury & Violence Prevention Tool (Safe States Alliance)
Health Equity and Prevention Primer (Prevention Institute)
Reimaging Child Wellbeing: Local Policy Strategies to Prevent and Reduce Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in California's Communities (California Department of Public Health)

Other Resources and Publications

Statewide and Government Agencies

Health in All Policies (HiAP)- The Health in All Policies program works with more than 20 state agencies and departments to develop innovative solutions that create healthy places to live, work, learn, and play.
Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Department of Justice - The Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP), established in 2024, advises California's Attorney General and serves as a liaison to gun violence prevention stakeholders on the implementation, coordination, and effectiveness of gun violence prevention laws and programs.
Nonprofit Leadership
Prevention Institute - Prevention Institute is a nonprofit organization that synthesizes research and practice, develops prevention tools and frameworks, designs and guides inter-sectoral partnerships, and provides training, technical assistance, and strategy development to promote innovative community-oriented solutions, better government and business practices, and policy change.
Futures Without Violence - FUTURES provides groundbreaking programs, policies, and campaigns that empower individuals and organizations working to end violence against women and children around the world.
Cities United - Cities United is a non-profit organization with a mission to end the epidemic of gun violence among young Black men and boys using a comprehensive approach to invest in communities and reduce inequities. Cities United developed two frameworks to help cities prevent gun violence and promote community safety.
Hope and Heal Fund - The Hope and Heal Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of gun violence in California. The Hope and Heal fund work with community leaders to prevent and interrupt all forms of gun violence- suicide, domestic, and community violence.

Research and Data-Driven Programs

John Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions - The Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions uses a public health approach to conduct scientific research and identify innovative solutions to gun violence. The Center works to expand evidence-based advocacy and policy-making efforts.
Public Policy Institute of California - The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) is a non-profit, nonpartisan think tank with a mission to inform and improve public policy within the state. The PPIC focuses research priorities on ways to improve the well-being of all Californians and identify practical policy solutions.
University of California, Davis (UC Davis) Centers for Violence Prevention - As of April 2025, UC Davis combined the Violence Prevention Research Program and the California Firearm Violence Research Center into the new Centers for Violence Prevention. The Centers remain dedicated to developing and sharing actionable research for violence prevention.
Public Health Institute - Public Health Institute is dedicated to improving health and wellness by discovering new research, strengthening key partnerships and programs, and advancing sound health policies.

Statewide Initiatives & Leaders

The California Endowment - The California Endowment's mission is to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians.
End Poverty in California - End Poverty in California aims to end poverty by elevating community members that experience it, creating and implementing policies rooted in the needs of those experiencing poverty, and advancing equitable opportunities for all Californians.

National and Professional Associations

Catalyst Center for Firearm Injury Prevention (Association of State and Territorial Heath Officials (ASTHO) - The Catalyst Center for Firearm Injury Prevention aims to address firearm injury and death using evidence-informed and equity-focused approaches. ASTHO engages with multiple partners to implement policies and strategies to prevent firearm injury and deaths.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Veto Violence - Veto Violence is a comprehensive tool for violence prevention created by the CDC. Veto Violence is a place to find comprehensive training, tips, and tools needed to launch or enhance local prevention efforts.
Safe States Alliance - The Safe States Alliance is a non-profit organization and professional association whose mission is to strengthen the practice of injury and violence prevention.
National Offices of Violence Prevention Network - This association of local offices of violence prevention supports uplifts the work of local violence prevention, convenes offices to learn from each other, and releases reports and best practices happening on the ground in local offices of violence prevention.