ViolenceIn the U.S., homicide ranks third among causes of death from injury, and is the leading cause of all deaths among black males ages 15 to 34.  Although homicide rates among women have been steadily declining, the perpetrator in 40 percent of these cases is a current or former intimate partner of the victim.

Research by Center faculty has identified risk markers for lethal intimate partner violence, including characteristics of the abuser and the prior abuse, as well as triggering events such as women leaving the relationship. This research has been used to develop and evaluate interventions that educate survivors about their risks and how to reduce those risks. A Lethality Assessment Program has been developed and is currently being implemented in many local jurisdictions in Maryland and elsewhere. 

Other violence research by Center faculty includes the development and testing of a Stages of Change model for surviving intimate partner violence and a tailored counseling program for survivors, studies of the relationship between Iintimate partner violence and HIV risks in low-income urban women, as well as evaluations of efforts to reduce gang-related violence and to promote positive youth development.