Follow-up Gun Study: Can Safety Videos Mitigate Interest in Guns in Children?

The Ohio State University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Psychology, Social; Adolescent Behavior

Treatments: Behavioral: Gun handling behavior; Other: Debriefing

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05257837

2021B0318

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators' previous research has shown that children exposed to media characters with guns in movies and video games are more likely to use real guns themselves (e.g., touch them, hold them, pull the trigger). This research tests whether exposure to a gun safety video a week before the study can help counteract dangerous behavior around guns.

Full description

Guns are prominent in movies that target children. An analysis of top selling films found that the depiction of guns in violent scenes in PG-13 films that target youth has increased from the level of G and PG files in 1985 when the rating was introduced, to the level of R films by 2005, to exceed the level of R films since 2012, a trend that has continued.

Research in the investigator's lab has shown that children are more likely to use guns (e.g., handle them, pull the trigger) after exposure to movie characters who use guns. The investigators replicated this study using video games, and also found that children who had taken a gun safety course were less likely to engage in dangerous behavior around firearms. However, it is difficult to draw causal inferences about the gun safety course because children were not randomly assigned to take or not take a gun safety course.

The present research will aim to reduce dangerous behavior around firearms by first exposing participants to a gun safety video recorded by The Ohio State University Chief of Police. The control video is about car safety. Children will see the videos about a week before they come into the lab.

In the lab, children will be tested in pairs. They will first watch a film clip from one of two different PG rated films, either in its original form (with guns) or with the guns edited out. After exposure to the film, participants will be placed in a room with toys, including two real unloaded guns that have been modified for safety and include a trigger pull counter.

The study uses 2 (gun safety video vs. car safety video) X 2 (movie with guns vs. movie without guns) between-subjects factorial design.

The investigators predict that children will be less likely to engage in dangerous behavior around real firearms after viewing the gun safety video than those who viewed the car safety video, even if they see a movie with guns in the lab.

Enrollment: 245 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 8 to 12 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 8-12 yrs
• No prior participation in the study
• Able to schedule participation with a known peer (8-12yo).

Exclusion criteria

• Younger than 8 yrs old
• Older than 12 yrs old
• Prior study participation
• Could not schedule participation with a known peer (8-12yo)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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245 participants in 4 patient groups

Gun safety vid x Movie clip - guns present

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this condition will view a gun safety video featuring The Ohio State University Chief of Police about a week before coming into the lab. In the lab, they will watch a \~20 minute clip of either The Rocketeer or National Treasure featuring guns.

Treatment:

Other: Debriefing

Behavioral: Gun handling behavior

Gun safety vid x Movie clip - guns absent

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this condition will view a gun safety video featuring The Ohio State University Chief of Police about a week before coming into the lab. In the lab, they will watch a \~20 minute clip of either The Rocketeer or National Treasure with the guns edited out.

Treatment:

Other: Debriefing

Behavioral: Gun handling behavior

Seatbelt safety video x Movie clip - guns present

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this condition will view a seatbelt safety video about a week before coming into the lab. In the lab, they will watch a \~20 minute clip of either The Rocketeer or National Treasure featuring guns.

Treatment:

Other: Debriefing

Behavioral: Gun handling behavior

Seatbelt safety video x Movie clip - guns absent

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this condition will view a seatbelt safety video about a week before coming into the lab. In the lab, they will watch a \~20 minute clip of either The Rocketeer or National Treasure featuring guns.

Treatment:

Other: Debriefing

Behavioral: Gun handling behavior