Dexter Voisin, a social work clinician, researcher, and the President of the National Association of Deans and Directors, recently shared his professional experiences researching community violence, firearm behaviors, and community-based interventions to address these issues. Inspired by his clients’ stories of violence and resiliency, Voisin has been studying community violence in America for decades.
An excerpt of my recent convo is included below.
##
Describe briefly your professional experience with the study of the phenomena of community violence among racialized youth.
I am a social work clinician who has transitioned into a role as a researcher, educator, and now dean. For nearly 30 years, I have conducted research on community violence, deeply influenced and inspired by the stories of violence and resilience shared by my clients.
In response to the 2024 study titled Associations Between Exposure to Neighborhood Violence and Firearm Possession Among Chicago Adults, describe the importance of promoting prosocial behaviors and reducing the allure of firearms as protective tools. Also, what are the biggest challenges for both the community and law enforcement agencies?
To begin with, we are the most heavily armed country in the developed world, possessing more guns than people. Many of these firearms are owned illegally. This observation is not a challenge to our First Amendment rights; instead, it underscores a widespread sense of insecurity among many individuals. The high rates of gun ownership contribute to significant issues, including suicides, homicides, deadly domestic disputes, and interpersonal conflicts, as well as problematic interactions with law enforcement.
In reference to the same research study, what are some community-based interventions that may reduce adverse firearm-related behaviors, such as gun violence or illegal firearm transactions for violence, among adults?
Investing in communities that have been overlooked is crucial. This includes providing jobs, establishing high-performing schools, creating recreational facilities, ensuring access to healthcare, and making other investments that promote stability and a sense of safety.
It is also important to teach young people in schools how to resolve conflicts in healthy ways, without resorting to firearms. Additionally, recognizing and addressing symptoms of trauma in themselves and others is vital, as unrecognized and untreated trauma can lead to the inappropriate use of weapons.
Furthermore, improving relationships between community members and law enforcement through community policing programs is essential for building trust and ensuring safety.
Surely, addressing recidivism is critical to reducing the intergenerational and community-wide impacts of gun violence. But what can community leaders from other major American cities learn from the epicenter of gun violence experienced in Chicago?
Chicago’s story of gun violence is, unfortunately, an American story. While Chicago gets an inordinate amount of media attention, other cities have higher gun homicide rates. The story and lessons are straightforward. We must care and invest in all our communities. This is essential for our well-being, safety, and growth. We must also consider the structural drivers of violence–like racialized poverty, underperforming schools, food and medical desserts, and jobs leaving communities—that fuel violence and despair in neighborhoods with high rates of gun violence.
Last month, Ecuadorian outlet La República shared a story about Ecuadorian migrants’ criminologic stress and institutional discrimination. Out of the approximately 5% of Afro-Ecuadorians residing in rural areas of Chicago (the fourth-largest in America), explain how this sub-population of Black adults may best address the issue of acculturative stress, social marginalization, and recidivism.
I am a Black immigrant who came to the United States in search of the American Dream and has experienced and achieved it in many ways. Yes, achieving this dream for anyone is more difficult when you have any subjugated identities. With all its complexities, I still believe in the promise of America. I think that excellence and hard work are still power antidotes to discrimination, especially anti-Black racism. Education is still a ladder to opportunity in this country.
