We uncover the hidden layers of New York City's youth gun culture with the Center for Justice Innovation's groundbreaking report, "Two Battlefields: Ops, Cops, and NYC Youth Gun Culture." This report takes us into the heart of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, to understand the struggle young people face amid peer opposition and police interactions. Through a fusion of lived experience and participatory research, their work reveals the fear driving gun carrying amongst young people and the importance of actionable outcomes to combat gun violence.

CJI's team members Basaime Spate, Javonte Alexander, and Elise White talk to hosts JJ and Kelly how fear and safety form the crux of the narrative that prompts youths to arm themselves, a tale that spans personal protection to unpredictable police encounters — and how we can all be contributing to lowering that fear and firearm carrying.

Further reading:
"Two Battlefields: Ops, Cops, and NYC Youth Gun Culture." (Center for Justice Innovation)
Community Researchers Connect with Young Gun-Carriers for Groundbreaking New Report (Center for Justice Innovation)
Safety fears prompt more Brooklyn youths to carry guns, report finds (NY daily news)
The psychology of guns: risk, fear, and motivated reasoning (Palgrave Commun 5)