Enhancing an Existing Prevention Strategy to Reduce Intentional Firearm Injuries Among High-risk Youth (Phase 1)

Enhancing an Existing Prevention Strategy to Reduce Intentional Firearm Injuries Among High-risk Youth (Phase 1)

Over the past three decades, substantial resources have been devoted to developing youth violence prevention (YVP) programs. These programs have demonstrated positive effects on reducing aggression and related behaviors, firearm-specific risk factors were largely overlooked due to historical barriers to firearm research. This omission is concerning, as firearms are now the leading cause of injury and death among U.S. youth. Existing YVP strategies such as Emerging Leaders address general violence risk but do not directly target firearm-related risks or suicide prevention. There remains a critical gap in prevention strategies that integrate firearm-specific content while leveraging established program infrastructure.

This study will utilize youth participatory action research (YPAR) to co-develop the SAFE Futures intervention. The SAFE Futures Intervention is a grounded theory of firearm-related behavior change, and it has developed the SAFE Futures single-session intervention through focus groups and youth participatory action research.

The study is designed to determine whether adding SAFE Futures to the Emerging Leaders program reduces risk factors associated with intentional firearm violence and suicide among high-risk youth. An advisory board of N=15 high-risk youth will be recruited, and data from focus groups will be analyzed using grounded theory methodology to examine attitudes, norms, personal agency, and contextual influences that promote or deter youth from engaging in risky and safe firearm behaviors (e.g., gun carrying, safe storage). The youth advisory board will use the resulting theory to develop SAFE Futures.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Youth aged approximately 13-17 years.
• Identified as at elevated risk for firearm-related injury (e.g., history of violent injury, referred by violence prevention programs).
• Able to provide assent (and parental/guardian consent if under 18).
• Sufficient proficiency in English to complete study procedures.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Significant cognitive impairment or developmental disability that would preclude comprehension of the intervention content or study procedures.
• Current psychiatric or medical instability requiring immediate treatment or hospitalization. - Non-English speaking (due to limited resources for translation of study measures and intervention materials in this pilot).