

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jillian Peterson.
Hi Jillian, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
James and I started our research into the lives of mass shooters back in 2017. After getting funding from the National Institute of Justice, we built a database of 180 perpetrators coded on 200 variables. We also interviewed perpetrators who were incarcerated, their families, and victims. The project turned into a nonpartisan nonprofit research center focused on gun violence prevention. We also published our findings in a book, The Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
People only want to talk about mass shootings after one takes place – the challenge is influencing policymakers when we are not in a crisis.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The Violence Project is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center dedicated to reducing violence in society and using data and analysis to improve policy and practice.
Our research on mass shootings, funded by the National Institute of Justice, has received global media attention. Our areas of expertise include gun violence, violent extremism, cyber violence, trauma and mental illness, street gangs, and youth violence.
We also launched Off-Ramps – a hub of research, training, and resources for holistic violence prevention.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
We present at a lot of practitioner conferences across the country. We also share our work through op-eds and media interviews. (http://www.jillianpeterson.com/media/)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theviolenceproject.org/
- Instagram: @theviolencepro
- Twitter: @theviolencepro