Preventing Firearm Violence in Youth: A hospital-based prevention strategy

NIH RePORTER · NIH · R01 · $2,062,482 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

Abstract Every day in the US approximately 100 people are injured by a firearm through violence1, and three-quarters of all homicides are firearm related1. Although firearm-related violence impacts all communities and populations, youth are high-risk for firearm-related violence, injury, and mortality. In particular, violently injured youth are highly susceptible to retaliatory firearm-related violence, as well as becoming violently re-injured or killed6. Therefore, the hospital has become a critical opportunity to prevent retaliatory violence in youth. At Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health, we have adapted our comprehensive hospital-based violence intervention program, Bridging the Gap (BTG). BTG is a novel hybrid intervention model that capitalizes on the hospital-based intervention approach using a brief violence intervention to prevent retaliatory violence but also provides community-based support to youth and their families by providing 3-months of community case management to help ensure lasting change. BTG in its current form has shown promise for reducing aggression and violence-related risk factors. However, it is yet to be established if it is effective for reducing firearm-related violence, injury, and mortality for youth. To address the surge in firearm-related violence in youth (10-17 years), we have further adapted BTG to include a dual-generation firearm safety counseling program delivered in the home. Using a randomized control trial design, the present study aims to rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of BTG for preventing firearm-related violence, injury, and mortality among violently injured youth (N=220). Firearm-related violence, injury, and mortality outcomes will be assessed over 6 months using multiple sources of data (e.g., semi-structured clinical interviews, self-and caregiver-report assessments, and hospital-, state- and national-level databases). In addition to understanding BTG effectiveness for preventing firearm-related outcomes, we aim to understand what psychosocial mediators explain the reductions in firearm-related violence in response to treatment, and what moderators may reduce treatment effectiveness. These data will prove beneficial for developing and tailoring new and existing youth firearm violence prevention strategies.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10399852
Project number
1R01HD108025-01
Recipient
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
Principal Investigator
Nicholas David Thomson
Activity code
R01
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2021
Award amount
$2,062,482
Award type
1
Project period
2021-09-17 → 2025-08-31