We at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Gun Violence Research and Education asked researchers, community leaders, and frontline violence prevention professionals, “Why is gun violence a public health issue, and why does this matter?” Their responses shine a light on the causes of gun violence, its disproportionate impact on communities of color, and the health-focused strategies that can solve this crisis.

This video features Jonathan Jay, DrPH, JD, assistant professor at Boston University School of Public Health. “People who have themselves been harmed are more likely to cause harm in the future. And criminalization alone does not work to interrupt those cycles,” says Dr. Jay.