The Violence Institute has partnered with the Office of Injury Surveillance and Prevention (OISP) in the Center for Health Statistics of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS), to maintain a violent death information collection system for New Jersey , the New Jersey Violent Death Reporting System (NJVDRS). NJVDRS is supported by a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded to NJDHSS. NJVDRS includes suicides, homicides, unintentional firearm deaths, injury deaths of undetermined intent and deaths by legal intervention occurring in New Jersey , or to New Jersey residents regardless of location, from January 1, 2003 to present. The most unique feature of this surveillance system is that it is an incident-based system, grouping related victims and suspects into one incident. If multiple deaths are considered related, they are grouped together if the injuries precipitating the deaths occur within 24 hours of each other.
NJVDRS will be used to educate public health and public safety professionals in the state and inform their interventions and decision-making, with the ultimate goal of reducing the incidence of violent deaths. Data for NJVDRS is collected from a variety of sources, including death certificates, medical examiner reports, law enforcement reports, supplemental homicide reports, ballistics data, and domestic violence reports. OISP, with the Violence Institute, will produce an annual report on violent deaths in New Jersey , which will include GIS mapping of NJVDRS data. Public use files for researchers will also be released. OISP and the Violence Institute will also evaluate the quality, effectiveness, and sufficiency of NJVDRS by consulting with an Advisory Board consisting of members from state and local police, prosecutors, state and local health, juvenile justice, women's health/domestic violence, adolescent health/school psychology, and child welfare. Copies of selected presentations to the Advisory Board are available on this site. In addition, NJVDRS data will be disseminated and analyzed within the state and non-confidential data are also submitted to CDC as part of the National Violent Death Reporting System, now active in seventeen states.
NJVDRS Advisory Board Presentations
February 21, 2007 - Cognitive Therapy for Suicide Prevention March 28, 2006 - Intimate Partner Homicide in New Jersey December 9, 2004 - Part 1 December 9, 2004 - Part 2 December 10, 2003 - Part 1 December 10, 2003 - Part 2 June 12, 2003 - Part 1 June 12, 2003 - Part 2 Presentations
Surveillance to Help Prevent Violent Deaths (November 30, 2006) - Presentation at the DHSS Epidemiology Seminar Series Violence in New Jersey: The Impact of Gangs (November 3, 2006) - Presentation at the New Jersey State Gang Summit 2006 "Focus on Prevention"
Presentation Maps - Homicide and Gang-Related Homicide Density MapsYouth Suicide (May 16, 2006) - Presentation to the Governor's Advisory Council on Youth Suicide Prevention New Jersey Violent Death Reporting System (February 21, 2006) - Presentation to the New Jersey Domestic Violence Fatality and Near Fatality Review Board Publications
Violent Deaths in New Jersey 2003-2005
Report Maps - Suicide, Homicide and 'Gang-Related' Homicide Maps excerpted from
reportSuicide and Firearm Ownership, NJ 2003-2005 Adolescent Suicide in New Jersey Suicide: Result from the New Jersey Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) Selected circumstances of violent deaths in New Jersey, 2004
(Companion to CDC's "Homicides and Suicides - National Violent Death Reporting Systems, United States, 2003-2004" MMWR 55(26) July 7, 2006)NJVDRS Project Information Flyer, 2005 New Jersey Suicide Facts, 2003-2004 New Jersey Homicide Facts, 2003-2004 For more information about the New Jersey Violent Death Reporting System, please contact Deborah Crabtree at 609-588-8869 or Deborah.Crabtree@doh.state.nj.us.
