Original scientific article
A Multidisciplinary Youth Violence-Prevention Initiative: Impact on Attitudes

Presented at the 2004 National Meeting of the American Trauma Society, May 2004.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2005.05.034Get rights and content

Background

In a previous report, enhanced resource commitment at a Level I trauma center was associated with improved outcomes for most major categories of injured patients, except those with gunshot wounds, which disproportionately affected the young (ages 15 to 24 years). We hypothesized that a primary violence-prevention initiative geared toward changing attitudes about interpersonal conflict among at-risk youths can be effective.

Study design

Between May 2002 and November 2003, 97 youths (mean age 12.6 years) were recruited from one of two Police Athletic League centers in the catchment area of our Level I trauma center. Participant attitudes about interpersonal conflicts were surveyed with six previously validated scales before and after a hospital tour with a video and slide presentation graphically depicting the results of gun violence. Mean differences in scores between pre- and postintervention surveys were assessed.

Results

Of the 97 participants, 48 (49.4%) completed the intervention program with both the pre- and postintervention tests, with a mean of 25.8 days between tests. There was a statistically significant reduction in the Beliefs Supporting Aggression scale (mean −0.38 U; 95% CI, −0.23 to −0.54; p < 0.01), and a trend toward reduced Likelihood of Violence (mean −0.17 U; 95% CI, 0.01 to −0.34; p = 0.06).

Conclusions

A multidisciplinary violence-prevention outreach program can produce short-term improvement in beliefs supporting aggression among at-risk youth. Longterm impact of this attitude change needs to be examined in future studies.

Section snippets

Methods

After Institutional Review Board approval, recruitment for our violence-prevention program was open to youths ages 7 to 17 years, geographically selected as living within the catchment area of our trauma center by their attendance at one of two Baltimore Police Athletic League (PAL) centers.3

Participants were given a package survey of six previously validated scales, both pre- and postintervention, to assess their attitudes about interpersonal conflicts. This package included:

  • 1

    Beliefs

Results

Between May 2002 and November 2003, after pilot testing, a total of 97 youths were recruited to participate in this project. Mean age of the children was 12.6 years, with 54 boys (55.7%). Among them, 48 children (49.4%) completed the program with both pre- and postintervention tests, with a mean of 25.8 days between tests.

There was a statistically significant reduction in the Beliefs Supporting Aggression scale (mean –38 U; 95% CI, −0.23 to −0.54; p < 0.01), and a trend toward reduced

Discussion

A previous report suggested that enhanced resources on a focused trauma service were associated with improved patient outcomes, and that the benefits were largely attributable to improvements seen with blunt trauma patients, particularly those with severe head injuries. The finding that the majority of patients with lethal gunshot wounds were declared dead shortly after arrival in the emergency department, and that the majority of these patients were ages 15 to 24, suggested that any additional

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Competing Interests Declared: None.

Supported by a grant from the American Trauma Society.

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