NCT05078164

Preventing Firearm Violence in Youth: A Hospital-based Prevention Strategy

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 300 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Virginia Commonwealth University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 10 Years – 17 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The goal of the study is to understand if hospital-based violence interventions are effective for reducing youth violence among violently injured youth. This study will allow researchers to learn more about the intervention's effectiveness. The researchers also want to understand if the violence intervention impacts other behaviors, such as firearm use, drug use, aggression, risky behaviors, and rates of violent re-injury.

Detailed description

The purpose of this research study is to find out if a hospital-based violence intervention (Bridging the Gap) is effective for reducing youth violence. Researchers think that youth who receive the Bridging the Gap will see greater improvements than youth who do not receive the intervention. Approximately 300 youth patients and 300 adult caregivers will enroll in this study. Participants will be randomized into a study group (either Bridging the Gap or Treatment as Usual). If patients agree to the study but do not like the group they are assigned to, they can request to switch groups. Participants assigned to the Treatment as Usual intervention will receive a brief violence awareness brochure during their hospital stay. Participants assigned to the Bridging the Gap intervention will receive an in-hospital intervention and, once released from the hospital, will receive 3-months of community case management services with their families. The study team thinks that youth who receive the Bridging the Gap intervention will see greater improvements than youth who do not receive the intervention. Participation in this study will last up to 6 months.

Conditions

• Violence in Adolescence

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Bridging the Gap (BTG)	Bridging the Gap: Bridging the Gap is a hybrid model for violence prevention which integrates a hospital-based brief violence intervention (BVI) delivered to the patient while in hospital with a wrap-around community case management prevention strategy. Firearm Counseling Program: The firearm counseling program was developed to be administered in the hospital alongside the 6-step intervention program, as well as in the patient's home after hospital discharge. The firearm safety counseling program includes 3 components aimed at understanding patient risk, reducing firearm-related violence risk-factors, and helping patients increase firearm safety practices.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-05-04
• Primary completion: 2026-12-01
• Completion: 2026-12-01
• First posted: 2021-10-14
• Last updated: 2026-02-04

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States