Studying political violence as a public health issue

In this issue: We study political violence as a public health issue, and in 2022, we launched an annual, nationally representative survey to explore personal willingness to engage in political violence. With strongly contested elections just weeks away, we’d like to share what we’ve learned. 

Notably, we’ve consistently found that the majority of Americans reject political violence altogether. However, as of mid-2024, 1 in 4 Americans view violence as usually or always justified to advance at least 1 political objective, and a small but concerning proportion (2-3%) express willingness to engage directly in violence for political aims. 

Understanding underlying risk factors and motivations can aid prevention efforts. To learn more, explore our full collection of political violence research. Publications in this series have presented findings for the population as a whole; explored variation with party affiliation and political ideology; focused on MAGA Republicans, those who endorse racist and pro-violence beliefs or approve of extremist organizations and movements, those who endorse seven forms of intergroup fear and loathing (such as hostile sexism and homonegativity), and firearm owners; and explored change in support for political violence from 2022 to 2023.

The evidence from our surveys and an extensive body of research on behavior change suggest an intervention that could be implemented rapidly and would likely prove useful. The large majority of Americans who reject political violence need to make their opposition clear to family members, friends, and others in their social networks, with the expectation that this will change minds and help prevent political violence. Elected officials, community leaders, and the media should join in this effort. 

We’ll keep speaking up about our opposition to political violence -- and violence in all its forms. We hope you’ll join us. 

Other topics covered:

• New research on political violence, firearm violence exposure, community violence intervention, and neighborhood predictors of suicide
• Garen Wintemute’s op ed in the LA Times: Don’t underestimate threats of violence from Proud Boys and other right-wing groups 
• The BulletPoints Project’s new one-hour training for Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) licensees 
• We are co-sponsoring the the 2024 National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm Related Harms 

Stay informed—read the full newsletter for insights on how our work is driving violence prevention, our latest research and resources, upcoming events, and more. Subscribe so you never miss an issue.