Controlling Violence in America


Congressional Briefing

Friday, June 9, 2000

8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

2168 Rayburn House Office Building


The past few years have seen significant reductions in crime across America. Yet, our prisons are filled and violence continues unabated in many communities. We are shocked at high profile crimes in schools and seemingly senseless rampage killings by people who are acting out their prejudices and hate. Behind closed doors interpersonal domestic violence still haunts our Nation's households. Gun ownership and control remains a major political issue. Three leading experts will discuss violence in America, examining recent and historical trends, causes, and prevention efforts.

Speakers

"The Nature of Gun Violence in America"

Alfred Blumstein

Carnegie Mellon University

National Consortium on Violence Research

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"Rampage Killings"

Fox Butterfield

The New York Times

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"Interpersonal Domestic Violence"

Laura Dugan

Georgia State University

National Consortium on Violence Research

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Moderated by

Howard J. Silver

Consortium of Social Science Associations

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Sponsored by

Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA)

(with a generous grant from the Ford Foundation)

National Consortium on Violence Research (NCOVR)



Speaker Bios

Alfred Blumstein is a University Professor and the J. Erik Jonsson Professor of Operations Research at and the former Dean of the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University. He is the current President of COSSA. A renowned criminologist, Blumstein directs the National Consortium on Violence Research (NCOVR), funded by the National Science Foundation. He has chaired National Research Council panels on deterrence and incapacitation, sentencing and criminal careers. He has chaired the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Blumstein has been President of the American Society of Criminology, and received its Sutherland award for "contributions to research." He has also served as President of the Operations Research Society of America, The Institute for Management Sciences, and the organization into which they have been merged, the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences. He has a Bachelor in Engineering Physics and a Ph.D. in Operations Research from Cornell University. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1998.

Fox Butterfield is a national correspondent for the New York Times, reporting on crime and criminal justice policy. He is the author of several books, including "All God's Children: The Bosket Family and the American Tradition of Violence," which has won numerous awards. He has worked for the Times for 30 years, much of it as a foreign correspondent. He has had his current assignment on crime and criminal justice since 1995, and is the co-author of the recent series on Rampage Killers.

Laura Dugan is currently an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Georgia State University. She received her M.S. in Public Management and Policy (1995), her M.S. in Statistics (1998), and her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management (1999) from Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Dugan's research includes examining the consequences of criminal victimization and the efficacy of victimization prevention policy. She is currently developing a systematic graphical method to examine the sensitivity of outcomes from rare-event longitudinal models to individual units and ranges of time. She is also examining the effects of domestic violence laws, policies, services, and cuts in Aid to Families with Dependent Children benefit levels on rates of intimate partner homicide.

Howard Silver is the Executive Director of the Consortium of Social Science Associations. He formerly served COSSA as Associate Director for Government Relations, a position he held from 1983 to 1988. In 1994 he was elected Chair of the Coalition for National Science Funding. Dr. Silver was previously a consultant for legislative and political research, a political campaign manager, and a legislative analyst in the Department of Education. He taught political science and public policy at several colleges and universities. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Ohio State University.

A transcript of the briefing will be available in four to six weeks.


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