“It is nice, but it can’t keep me safe”: perspectives on the effectiveness of hospital-based violence intervention programs

Background: Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) have been identified as an important intervention to reduce the likelihood that people who are violently injured return to the hospital for a similar injury. However, these programs often struggle with the recruitment and retention of participants. Methods: Drawing on long-term multisited ethnographic research at the programs associated with the two busiest trauma centers in the state of Maryland, we examine how survivors of violent injury, their loved ones, and program staff evaluate the effectiveness of HVIPs. Results: In centering the perspectives of these stakeholders, our analysis shows a clear disconnect between the goals of HVIPs and the realities survivors face. Thematic analysis included the inability of program services to increase participant safety, the limited impact of HVIP services on reducing retaliatory violence, and the need for community-engaged collaboration. Conclusions: These insights suggest a need for HVIP models that prioritize long-term care and social change.Level of EvidenceLevel IV, Economic & Value-based Evaluations.