The documentary film The Interrupters reveals the importance of fighting against violence in communities where the criminality rates are above the average. Chicago’s South Side, the movie’s setting, is an example of a troubled area where drug trafficking, murders, and illegal gangs activities disrupt the residents’ well-being (James, 2012). The Interrupters is an example of how an organization, CeaseFire, can address the dangerous challenge of increased violence from multiple perspectives and help the local communities get through tough times. They tried to influence how the area’s residents interact as almost every argument was at risk to turn into a crime with guns and knives involved. CeaseFire directly communicated with people on the streets and interrupted conflicts if witnessed (James, 2012). However, the problem was that the peaceful disruption and attempts to terminate the fights were insufficient to eliminate the anger and hate people felt. A different approach must have been created to decrease the violence in Chicago’s South Side. CeaseFire’s interrupters tried to impact the situation through influencing youth: they helped adolescents, and young adults deal with life’s challenges, discussed the conflicts, and helped discover their strengths and talents (James, 2012). The organization tried to decrease violence through peaceful demonstrations encouraging to stop murders on the streets.
CeaseFire’s members also influenced drug trafficking by educating the youth about the threats of their activities and the consequences they might face if the police discover their crime. Moreover, the Interrupters developed a public health program dedicated to addressing the spread of infectious diseases that are proven to be the consequence of increased violence and drugs abuse (James, 2012). CeaseFire experienced success in communicating with the neighborhood’s younger generation as they organized several educational events to raise awareness about infections, substance use hazards, and the importance of disrupting the violence through peaceful interaction (James, 2012). The organization discussed self-perception, conflict management, and respect with adolescents, and such interruption led to changes in the communities’ norms towards decreasing violence on the streets.
Reference
James, S. (2012). The Interrupters [Film]. Kartemquin Films.