SAFElab

Description

The SAFE Lab is a research initiative focused on examining the ways in which youth of color navigate violence on and offline. Drawing on computational and social work approaches to research, we engage in qualitative and natural language processing methods to understand the mechanisms of violence and how to prevent and intervene in violence that occurs in neighborhoods and social media environments. Our work contributes to scholarship in understanding the contagion of violence. We aim to be a resource for social workers and community based organizations working in violence prevention and intervention. We endeavor to conduct research that examines the phenomenon of violence in the lives of youth of color and are particularly interested in how experiences with neighborhood and gun violence influence social media behavioral choices, identity, future orientation, health and schooling. We also engage in research that seeks to strengthen community-based organizations that are engaged in violence prevention efforts. Currently, our projects are focused on youth of color's exposure to social media, community violence, resiliency, decision-making and intervention research.