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NCT Number: NCT05078164

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

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Violence in Adolescence

Age range

10 year–17 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia, 23298, United States

Location status: Recruiting

About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Youth are aged 10-17 years and their adult caregivers are aged 18 years and older
  • Receiving treatment in the hospital for a violence-related injury (e.g., gunshot wound) or referred to BTG/IVPP services
  • English speaking
  • Eligible for BTG services (which includes living within the BTG catchment area for the hospital; Richmond City and neighboring counties)

Exclusion criteria

  • Youth are < 10 years old
  • Youth are > 18 years old
  • Prisoners

Treatment and study plan

Bridging the Gap (BTG)

Behavioral

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.

Primary outcomes

  1. Firearm-related violence

    Time frame: 6 months

    Total number of unique firearm-related violence incidents will be assessed multiple ways including self-report assessment and semi-structured clinical assessments.

  2. Firearm-related carrying behaviors

    Time frame: 6 months

    Total number of firearm-related carrying behaviors will be assessed multiple ways including self-report assessment and semi-structured clinical assessments.

  3. Firearm-related beliefs

    Time frame: 6 months

    Total number of firearm-related beliefs endorsed will be assessed multiple ways including self-report assessment and semi-structured clinical assessments.

  4. Firearm-related re-injury

    Time frame: 6 months

    Total number of unique firearm-related re-injury incidents will be measured multiple ways including self-report, caregiver-report, hospital records, and the National Death Index.

  5. Firearm-related mortality

    Time frame: 6 months

    Number of deaths will be collected from hospital records and the National Death Index.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Nicholas Thomson

CONTACT

[email protected]

804-628-5541

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Virginia Commonwealth University

Other

Collaborators

  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Oct 14, 2021
Registry last updated
Feb 4, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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