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

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Prevention

Treatments: Other: Youth advisory board training; Other: Semi-structured focus groups; Other: Feedback and advice sessions; Other: Establish an advisory board of high-risk youth

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT07305467

HM300000392 Phase 1

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Full description

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.

Enrollment: 45 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 13 to 17 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

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).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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45 participants in 2 patient groups

Interviewees

Other group

Description:

Interviews with youth (30 participants) to identify relevant firearm-specific risk and protective factors that will be used to develop the theory and intervention in collaboration with an advisory board of 15 youth. (Members of the YPAR are eligible to participate in both arms).

Treatment:

Other: Semi-structured focus groups

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) Advisory Board

Other group

Description:

The advisory board of 15 youth. The advisory board will assist in developing the focus group protocol for Phase 1 qualitative data collection. (Members of the YPAR are eligible to participate in both arms).

Treatment:

Other: Establish an advisory board of high-risk youth

Other: Feedback and advice sessions

Other: Semi-structured focus groups

Other: Youth advisory board training