The U.S. murder rate skyrocketed by nearly 30 percent in 2020—the highest recorded one-year rise in the country's modern history. What is going on in the United States? And what can we learn from efforts abroad to stem violence while reforming the police and criminal justice systems?

Addressing the forms of violence that plague the world today requires international actors to acknowledge that tackling state repression and organized crime necessitates looking beyond technical quick fixes. The private and social sectors also have an important role to play.