Created in 2002, and expanded in 2014 from 18 to 32 states, the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) is a state-based surveillance system linking information from multiple data sources: death certificates, state and local medical examiner, coroner, and law enforcement records to create a more complete picture of the circumstances that lead to violent death. Data collected about each violent death include circumstances related to the event (e.g., depression or major life stresses); the relationship between perpetrator and homicide victim; concurrent crimes committed along with homicide (e.g., robbery, arson) multiple homicides, or homicide followed by suicide. NVDRS data allow states to tailor violent death prevention efforts to the needs of their communities and evaluate their effectiveness. This session will focus on states’ novel and creative use and dissemination of NVDRS data to inform state and local prevention and policy efforts, including state examples from the recently updated NVDRS Storiesdocument from Safe States Alliance.
METHODS:
The presentation will include a brief overview of the NVDRS and how NVDRS data can be used to better understand general patterns in violent deaths and emerging multi-state or regional trends. The majority of the presentation will focus on examples detailed in NVDRS Storiesof how several NVDRS states have advanced NVDRS data utilization and dissemination, including using these data to support decision making at state and local levels and to inform specific violence prevention and policy efforts. Specific examples will include those addressing veteran suicide, youth suicide and domestic violence-related homicide.
RESULTS: By the end of this session, participants will: 1) be aware of CDC NVDRS program, 2) understand key findings from state NVDRS data analyses, and 3) understand how state NVDRS programs have used and disseminated data to enable tailored violent death prevention and policy efforts at state and local levels.
CONCLUSIONS:
NVDRS data from 2013 show that violence claimed more than 57,000 American lives, including over 41,000 people who died by suicide. By combining data from multiple sources (i.e., vital records, medical examiners/coroners, law enforcement), the NVDRS helps provide a fuller picture of the events leading up to violent deaths. State NVDRS programs have analyzed these data to increase our understanding of these deaths. Innovative and creative use and dissemination of these data have helped inform state and local efforts to prevent or reduce future violent deaths.