Based on promising evidence for CVI and other relevant research, SC2 is advancing the following hypothesis:
If SC2 successfully facilitates peace among groups in conflict, integrates high-quality delivery of five core services, uses multi-source data to inform decision-making, and reaches at least 75% of the individuals in a community at the highest risk of violence, then there will be fewer shootings and homicides and, through spill-over effects, the overall environment of physical safety will change, further reducing shootings and retaliatory shootings, the incentive to carry weapons, and other conditions that fuel gun violence.
In response to a troubling rise in gun violence following the tragic killing of Laquan McDonald, there was an urgent need to invest in community-based initiatives to reach those at the highest risk of violence. These efforts built the foundation of operationalizing Community Violence Intervention (CVI) in Chicago.
Independent studies have shown that participants in key programs experience significantly lower risks. Despite the progress made, by 2022, only a fraction of the estimated 20,000 highest-risk individuals are being served. SC2 was launched in early 2024 to test the hypothesis that if 75% of the highest risk individuals in a neighborhood are reached with quality, evidence informed services, then violence at the neighborhood level will be reduced through the combined direct impact on individuals and spill over effects.
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Independent evaluations of CVI programs by the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Northwestern University CORNERS have shown promising evidence of impact for some participants, which includes:
65%
73%
42%
SC2 focuses on a second-generation CVI approach that is:
Integrated, high-quality services subject to rigorous, independent academic evaluation.
Locally tailored plans created and led by neighborhood organizations.
Services that match the scale of the need with a goal of reaching a tipping point in communities and the city overall.
Overseen and supported by a seasoned team of experts.
Develop initiative-wide goals, define governance, manage SC2-wide financials, coordinate with public sector partners, mitigate risks, and oversee progress.
Create goals and work plans for each community, track progress, manage coalition financials, and develop CBO capabilities.
Engage with and report to funders, and manage the external communications strategy.
Evaluate the individual, community, and societal impacts of SC2 activities, provide constructive feedback to SC2 staff and community stakeholders, and share the findings.
SC2's evaluation is a multi-year, three-part mixed-methods study with qualitative and quantitative elements. Research objectives are intended to lead to a rigorous understanding of if and how SC2’s innovative approach works—for SC2 and the broader CVI field.
Our evaluation and learning approach goes beyond traditional evaluation to provide continuous, independent insights that inform decision-making, strengthen implementation, refine the initiative’s theory of change, and adapt to evolving community and policy contexts. Through ongoing data collection, stakeholder engagement, and structured reflection with SC2 staff and community coalitions, the process ensures findings are both rigorous and grounded in the experiences of those closest to the work.
Since implementation began in August 2024, we have engaged a Scientific Advisory Panel of three nationally respected scholars in the fields of violence, crime, and public and community safety to advise on evaluation processes, methods, and more: Dr. Patrick Sharkey (Chair), Princeton University; Dr. Shani Buggs, University of California, Davis; and Dr. John McDonald, University of Pennsylvania.
In Spring 2025, we selected Northwestern University’s Center for Neighborhood Engaged Research and Science (CORNERS), Principal Investigator, Dr. Andrew Papachristos, PhD, for the process evaluation to develop a comprehensive understanding of how SC2 is implemented across neighborhoods, how stakeholders collaborate, and how it reaches those at highest risk for gun violence.
In Fall 2025, we selected a team of researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland to conduct the impact evaluation. With both qualitative and quantitative components, the mixed-methods evaluation will focus on collecting consistent data on CVI participants’ behaviors, experiences, and opinions, and analyzing it to understand the impact of the work at the individual, organizational, and community levels. Joseph Richardson, Jr., PhD, and Daniel Webster, ScD, MPH, are Co-Principal Investigators for the project.
SC2 is a joint initiative of:
