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A trauma-informed approach to understanding firearm decision-making among Black adolescents: Implications for prevention. Prev Med 2022; 165:107305. [PMID: 36252829 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Firearm violence remains a public health crisis in marginalized, urban communities, with Black adolescents bearing the burden of firearm homicides and injuries. As such, the prevention of firearm violence among adolescents has moved to a high priority of the U.S. public health agenda. The current paper reviews recent literature to highlight the heterogeneity in firearm behavior among Black adolescents and underscore the need for additional research on decision-making and firearm behavior to better understand how adolescents make decisions to acquire, carry, and use firearms. Through a discussion of the disproportionate levels of trauma exposure and trauma symptoms experienced by Black adolescents, the current paper also proposes a trauma-informed approach to understanding decision-making for risky firearm behavior. We discuss the broader impacts of this approach, including the development of a more comprehensive and contextually relevant understanding of the variability in risky firearm behavior and improvements in risk screening capabilities and preventive intervention strategies.
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Carter PM, Zimmerman MA, Cunningham RM. Addressing Key Gaps in Existing Longitudinal Research and Establishing a Pathway Forward for Firearm Violence Prevention Research. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL FOR THE SOCIETY OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, DIVISION 53 2021; 50:367-384. [PMID: 34086512 PMCID: PMC8186821 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2021.1913741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The main purpose of this article and this special section is to encourage greater attention to the key gaps that exist in our understanding of the epidemiology of adolescent firearm violence and to provide a pathway forward for future longitudinal research that will inform prevention efforts. This increased attention is especially salient given: (a) firearms are the leading cause of death for adolescents and emerging adults in the United States, with the majority of these deaths due to interpersonal violence; (b) significant health and social disparities with regards to the populations that are most affected by interpersonal firearm violence have been documented; and, (c) limitations in federal research funding during the past 30 years have created a deficit of knowledge about key risk and protective factors necessary to inform evidence-based prevention efforts. We discuss the implications of the articles in this special edition for existing and novel prevention programs. We also identify key considerations for future epidemiological research, including the need for a greater focus on collecting longitudinal data among nationally representative samples enriched with subgroups of at-risk youth, the need to examine the role of protective factors and mediating variables within existing and novel theoretical models of firearm risk behaviors, the need to examine key factors across all levels of the socio-ecological model, and the need to incorporate novel and innovative research designs, methods and analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M Carter
- Firearm Safety among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan School of Medicine
- Department of Health Behavior/Health Education, University of Michigan School Public Health
- Youth Violence Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Public Health
- University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Medicine
| | - Marc A Zimmerman
- Firearm Safety among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine
- Department of Health Behavior/Health Education, University of Michigan School Public Health
- Youth Violence Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Public Health
- University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Medicine
| | - Rebecca M Cunningham
- Firearm Safety among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan School of Medicine
- Department of Health Behavior/Health Education, University of Michigan School Public Health
- Youth Violence Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Public Health
- University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Medicine
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Crifasi CK, Booty MD, Buggs SA, Webster DW, Sherman SG. Worth the risk? Gun carrying and perceived criminal justice responses in Baltimore. Inj Prev 2020; 27:injuryprev-2020-043917. [PMID: 33303560 DOI: 10.1136/injuryprev-2020-043917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Policing strategies to deter illegal gun carrying by high-risk people are associated with reductions in gun violence. Many factors influence decisions to use or carry a gun in public, but it is unclear whether perceptions of the criminal justice system's response influence those decisions. METHODS We used a 2016 cross-sectional survey of criminal justice system-involved men in Baltimore City (n=195) to assess their recent frequency of gun carrying and perceptions of criminal justice system responses. RESULTS Forty-two per cent of respondents reported carrying a gun at least once; 15% carried a gun at least monthly. Those who carried at least monthly were significantly less likely than others to report that it was likely they would be caught carrying a gun on the street (31% vs 53%). CONCLUSIONS Challenges with holding accountable those who illegally possess or carry guns in public may influence behaviours and perceptions of the effectiveness of the criminal justice system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra Kercher Crifasi
- Department of Health Policy & Management, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Marisa D Booty
- Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shani A Buggs
- Violence Prevention Research Program, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Daniel W Webster
- Department of Health Policy & Management, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Susan G Sherman
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Keil S, Beardslee J, Schubert C, Mulvey E, Pardini D. Perceived Gun Access and Gun Carrying Among Male Adolescent Offenders. YOUTH VIOLENCE AND JUVENILE JUSTICE 2020; 18:179-195. [PMID: 35992964 PMCID: PMC9390074 DOI: 10.1177/1541204019865312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Gun violence takes a significant toll on adolescents in the United States, and there is a lack of longitudinal research on perceptual factors that drive gun carrying. Notably, there is no information on the relationship between perception of gun accessibility and gun carrying. Using data collected between 2000 and 2006 in the Pathways to Desistance Study, we examine the effects of perceived access to guns in a sample of adolescent offenders. A generalized estimating equations approach tested the effect of perceived gun access along with other known risk factors for gun carrying across time. Even after adjusting for these other risk factors, perceived gun access was significantly related to future carrying. Our findings support self-reported gun availability as a significant, population-based risk factor related to gun carrying in high-risk youth. Further research on how perceived access mediates the decision to carry guns would be valuable for formulating effective gun policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer Keil
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jordan Beardslee
- Criminology & Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Carol Schubert
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Edward Mulvey
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Dustin Pardini
- Criminology & Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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Carter PM, Mouch CA, Goldstick JE, Walton MA, Zimmerman MA, Resnicow K, Cunningham RM. Rates and correlates of risky firearm behaviors among adolescents and young adults treated in an urban emergency department. Prev Med 2020; 130:105891. [PMID: 31726077 PMCID: PMC7182087 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Firearm violence is a leading cause of death for urban adolescents and young adults (A/YAs). Little is known about patterns of risky firearm behaviors (RFBs) that may increase firearm-related fatality and non-fatal injury risk. To inform prevention efforts, we examined the rates and correlates of RFBs, including firearm carriage in risky situations (e.g., while drunk/high), discharge in risky situations (e.g., fleeing police), and firearm aggression (e.g., firearm threats/use against a partner/non-partner), among a sample of A/YAs (age-16-29) seeking medical or injury related care (7/2017-6/2018) at a Level-1 urban Emergency Department (ED). In total, 1312 A/YAs completed the survey (mean-age 23.2; 29.6%-male; 50.5%-Black; 56.3%-public assistance), with 102 (7.8%) engaging in RFBs. Among those engaging in RFBs, 42% reported firearm ownership, 68.6% firearm carriage in high-risk situations, 39.2% firearm discharge in risky situations, and 41.2% reported partner/non-partner firearm aggression. Regression identified RFBs correlates, including older age (AOR = 1.09), male sex (AOR = 1.63), Black race/ethnicity (AOR = 2.01), substance misuse (AOR = 2.75), attitudes favoring firearm use/retaliation (AOR = 1.38), peer firearm ownership/carriage (AOR = 3.26), higher levels of community violence exposure (AOR = 1.05), and active parole/probation (AOR 2.38). Higher coping skills were protective for RFBs (AOR = 0.83). Overall, we found that A/YAs seeking urban ED treatment reported elevated RFB rates, emphasizing the need for novel prevention initiatives, especially those incorporating tailored content addressing substance use, retaliatory violence, and peer delinquency/norms, while enhancing self-efficacy for avoiding RFBs and providing access to external resources within a resiliency-based framework. Such prevention approaches may be a critical step towards addressing the public health problem of firearm violence. Primary Funding Sources: NIH/NIDA K23DA039341; NIH/NCATS UL1TR000433.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M Carter
- Univ. of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 2800 Plymouth Road, NCRC 10-G080, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, United States of America; Youth Violence Prevention Center, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America.
| | - Charles A Mouch
- Univ. of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 2800 Plymouth Road, NCRC 10-G080, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America; Department of Surgery, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, United States of America.
| | - Jason E Goldstick
- Univ. of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 2800 Plymouth Road, NCRC 10-G080, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, United States of America.
| | - Maureen A Walton
- Univ. of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 2800 Plymouth Road, NCRC 10-G080, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America; University of Michigan, Addiction Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America.
| | - Marc A Zimmerman
- Univ. of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 2800 Plymouth Road, NCRC 10-G080, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America; Youth Violence Prevention Center, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America; University of Michigan, Addiction Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America.
| | - Ken Resnicow
- Department of Health Behavior & Health, Education, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights 3790A SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America.
| | - Rebecca M Cunningham
- Univ. of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 2800 Plymouth Road, NCRC 10-G080, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, United States of America; Youth Violence Prevention Center, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America; Department of Health Behavior & Health, Education, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights 3790A SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America; Hurley Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, 1 Hurley Plaza, Flint, MI 48503, United States of America.
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Oliphant SN, Mouch CA, Rowhani-Rahbar A, Hargarten S, Jay J, Hemenway D, Zimmerman M, Carter PM. A scoping review of patterns, motives, and risk and protective factors for adolescent firearm carriage. J Behav Med 2019; 42:763-810. [PMID: 31367939 PMCID: PMC7182091 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-019-00048-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Firearm carriage is a key risk factor for interpersonal firearm violence, a leading cause of adolescent (age < 18) mortality. However, the epidemiology of adolescent firearm carriage has not been well characterized. This scoping review examined four databases (PubMed; Scopus; EMBASE; Criminal Justice Abstracts) to summarize research on patterns, motives, and underlying risk/protective factors for adolescent firearm carriage. Of 6156 unique titles, 53 peer-reviewed articles met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. These studies mostly examined urban Black youth, finding that adolescents typically carry firearms intermittently throughout adolescence and primarily for self-defense/protection. Seven future research priorities were identified, including: (1) examining adolescent carriage across age, gender, and racial/ethnic subgroups; (2) improving on methodological limitations of prior research, including disaggregating firearm from other weapon carriage and using more rigorous methodology (e.g., random/systematic sampling; broader population samples); (3) conducting longitudinal analyses that establish temporal causality for patterns, motives, and risk/protective factors; (4) capitalizing on m-health to develop more nuanced characterizations of underlying motives; (5) increasing the study of precursors for first-time carriage; (6) examining risk and protective factors beyond the individual-level; and, (7) enhancing the theoretical foundation for firearm carriage within future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen N. Oliphant
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan, 735 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Charles A. Mouch
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Surgery, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ali Rowhani-Rahbar
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Health Sciences Bldg, F-262, Seattle, WA 98195, USA,Harborview Injury Prevention and Research, Center University of Washington, 401 Broadway, 4th Floor, Seattle, WA 98122, USA
| | - Stephen Hargarten
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Emergency Medicine and Comprehensive Injury Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Jonathan Jay
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 3rd & 4th Floors, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David Hemenway
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 3rd & 4th Floors, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Marc Zimmerman
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights 3790A SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Youth Violence Prevention Center, Univ. of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Emergency Medicine, Univ. of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 2800 Plymouth Road, NCRC 10-G080, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Patrick M. Carter
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights 3790A SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Youth Violence Prevention Center, Univ. of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Emergency Medicine, Univ. of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 2800 Plymouth Road, NCRC 10-G080, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Relatively little is known about the behavior of adolescents around firearms. The present investigation was undertaken to estimate the proportion of community-residing adolescents who report that they have ever handled a gun without adult knowledge or supervision. METHODS A random digit dial interview was conducted with 5801 California adolescents as part of the California Health Interview Survey. Respondents were asked whether they have ever held a gun and whether they have ever done so without adult knowledge or supervision. Study design and population weights were applied to these data. In addition, adolescents' reports about the most recent unsupervised handling incident were coded to ascertain what they were doing with the gun as well as with whom and where the incident occurred. RESULTS One third (33%) of California adolescents report that they have handled a firearm; 5% report that they have done so without adult knowledge or supervision. Half (49%) of all unsupervised handling involved shooting and only 11% occurred in the respondent's home. Several demographic variables (being male, African American, living in a rural area) and risk behaviors (smoking, drinking, being the victim of a gun related threat), as well as having a gun in the home and parents not knowing the adolescent's whereabouts in the afternoon were each associated with unsupervised gun handling. CONCLUSIONS Unsupervised gun handling is associated with other health risk behaviors. Unsupervised gun handling typically involves shooting the gun and usually occurs with friends, away from the home.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Miller
- Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. mmiller@
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Sorenson SB, Vittes KA. Adolescents and firearms: a California statewide survey. Am J Public Health 2004; 94:852-8. [PMID: 15117711 PMCID: PMC1448348 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.94.5.852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2003] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We assessed the prevalence and correlates of adolescents' reports regarding firearms in their homes, of their own, of close friends, and of same-aged peers. METHODS Random-digit-dialed interviews were conducted with 5801 adolescents as part of the California Health Interview Survey. RESULTS One fifth (19.6%) of California adolescents reported having a firearm in their homes; few (3.0%) reported having their own gun. Characteristics associated with having one's own gun and with perceptions regarding others' guns generally were consistent with characteristics associated with having a firearm in the home. The 2 exceptions were related to socioeconomic status and to ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS The source from which adolescents obtain guns, especially adolescents from less wealthy households, merits further investigation. Further research is needed to ascertain the accuracy of Black and Latino adolescents' perceptions regarding handguns among their peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan B Sorenson
- School of Public Health, University of California-Los Angeles, Box 951722, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1722, USA.
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Webster DW, Freed LH, Frattaroli S, Wilson MH. How delinquent youths acquire guns: initial versus most recent gun acquisitions. J Urban Health 2002; 79:60-9. [PMID: 11937616 PMCID: PMC3456385 DOI: 10.1093/jurban/79.1.60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Access to firearms among delinquent youths poses significant risks to community safety. The purpose of the study was to describe how a group of criminally involved youths obtained guns. METHODS Youths were randomly selected from a juvenile justice facility to participate in a semistructured, anonymous interview. Transcripts were coded and analyzed with the aid of textual analysis software. RESULTS Of the 45 participants, 30 had acquired at least 1 gun prior to their most recent incarceration, and 22 had acquired multiple guns. About half of the first gun acquisitions were gifts or finds. The first guns youths acquired were usually obtained from friends or family. The most recent acquisitions were often new, high-caliber guns, and they came from acquaintances or drug addicts. New guns often came from high-volume traffickers. Gun acquisitions from strangers or through "straw purchases" were rare. Though few obtained guns directly through theft, some youths believed their supplier had stolen guns. Youths rarely left their community to obtain a gun. CONCLUSIONS Guns were readily available to this sample of criminally involved youths through their social networks. Efforts to curtail high-volume, illegal gun traffickers and to recover discarded guns from areas in which illicit drug sales take place could potentially reduce gun availability to high-risk youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W Webster
- Center for Gun Policy and Research, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
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