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The Violence Prevention and Transformation Research Collaborative (VPTRC) is a new initiative housed in the School of Social Work and Criminal Justice at the University of Washington Tacoma that focuses on the study and prevention of violence in general and mass shootings, school violence, and hate crimes, in particular. With funding support from the Vatheuer Family Foundation and the Koshka Foundation for Safe Schools, the VPTRC has two main objectives:
- Conducting groundbreaking research on the causes and prevention of various forms of violence
- Sharing this knowledge widely with scholars, practitioners, policy makers, and the public in order to make change and reduce violence in our society.
The VPTRC utilizes empirical knowledge and evidence-based practices from restorative and transformative justice to address issues of violence without creating additional harm through reactive and unnecessarily punitive measures. By better understanding, advocating for, and supporting harm reduction, behavioral threat assessment, conflict resolution, and restorative practices and transformative change, we aim to not only prevent violence but stop it at its root by addressing foundational interpersonal and systemic causes. With this innovative approach informed by decades of research and advocacy, there is countless potential to inform and influence pressing local, national, and international policy debates and thus to positively impact at-risk individuals and affected communities and to improve institutional practices and public safety. We may not be able to end school violence, mass shootings, and hate crimes, but we can certainly do a lot to reduce them considerably.
Dr. Madfis' work at NaSEM Workshop
K-12 Behavioral Threat Assessment Efficacy and Implementation Evaluation Workshop
Eric Madfis was one of the committee planning members and moderated two panels at the "K-12 Behavioral Threat Assessment Efficacy and Implementation Evaluation Research" Workshop in September 2024. This two day event was put on by the The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NaSEM) for the U.S. Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center.
VPTRC Overview
Distinguished Community Engagement Award
Dr. Eric Madfis is being recognized for his community engagement through his work at UW Tacoma's School of Social Work and Criminal Justice and the Violence Prevention and Transformation Research Collaborative. His work embodies the spirit of community engagement, including fostering positive change and contributing public-facing knowledge for the reduction of violence in our schools and communities.
This award recognizes Dr. Madfis's collaborative community-based approach to research, service, and partnership development related to the Violence Prevention and Transformation Research Collaborative and scholarship on the Salem-Keizer Cascade Threat Assessment Model – both which have local, regional, and national impact. Dr. Madfis's work entails collaborative involvement with practitioners, administrators, students, teachers, and scholars to make a positive impact and reduce school and community violence.
