Gun Violence: Using Community Based System Dynamics to Elicit Solutions from Youth

Background & Purpose: According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, 54 percent of people murdered using guns were under the age of 30 in 2010. Gun violence involving youth has long-lasting social, emotional, and physical outcomes. Though they are often the targets of intervention and prevention, the unique perspectives of youth living in communities characterized by high rates of violence are not regularly solicited, which is an impediment to effective community violence prevention efforts. This study documents the elicitation of the youth perspective on gun violence from a feedback perspective using a participatory method of group model building called community based system dynamics (CBSD).

Methods: Teens, ages 14-18, from area high schools were recruited to become interns and facilitate CBSD workshops with peers in a 4-day summit on gun violence. A total of 43 students, 16 interns and 27 participants, representing 19 area high schools participated in the summit. The age of participants ranged from 14 to 19, including incoming high school freshmen to college freshmen. The participants were mostly African American (70%), followed by Latinos (14%), white (12%), and Asian American (5%). Interns spent a total of 30 hours being trained in CBSD and facilitation techniques using practices and principles of positive youth development. The summit was designed to develop the systems thinking and group model building facilitation skills of high school students in the local community, use youth-led and designed sessions of CBSD to engage youth voice on the issue of gun violence, and work with peers to develop solutions to gun violence based on the feedback perspective. Youth interns synthesized resulting models, identified common feedback loops and system structures, and developed ideas to alleviate gun violence. Youth then designed and delivered a presentation of these results to a group of stakeholders representing adults, families, and nonprofit leaders from the community.

Results: The resulting models included narratives about neighborhood safety and fear leading to the desire to protect oneself and gun attainment; bullying and street gangs leading to the need to protect oneself; decreased mental health leading to an inability to positively solve problems; and reduced opportunities to engage in activities outside of school leading to participation in delinquent behavior. Youth used the models to develop intervention ideas to reduce gun violence in their communities. After participating, youth described a shift in thinking from simple, proximal causes to a systems-oriented view of gun violence in communities.

Conclusions & Implications: This study aimed to understand youth gun violence using participatory methods. By eliciting teen perspectives from interns and their peers, this project developed a system dynamics model of the system structure and solutions to gun violence in urban communities. The results provide insights for teachers, practitioners, and researchers working on issues that affect teens by using participatory methods that empower their voices. Additionally, this project elicited unique and often marginalized perspectives in the development of community-based solutions to gun violence. Limitations and recommendations for future research will also be discussed.