Rise up! A Youth-Informed Video Program For Young Children To Stay Safe From Community Violence

Gun violence is the number one reason children die in the U.S. In big cities, most of these cases come from shootings related to assaults and homicides. There aren't many effective ways right now to prevent kids from either becoming victims or getting involved in gun violence themselves. This study aims to create a video program (Rise Up! Against Violence) for middle schoolers that teaches them about guns and the real-life consequences of violence. The videos will be made by high school students who have personally experienced gun violence, since they may be better able to connect with and influence younger kids. The Rise Up! program will be tested in schools in high-violence communities in Houston and Memphis.

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Key information

Conditions

Firearm Injury

Age range

11 year–15 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

The University of Texas Medical Branch

Galveston, Texas, 77555, United States

About this study

Community gun violence is the leading cause of firearm injury and death in urban youth in the United States and yet upstream primary prevention efforts are sparse. The goal of this proposal is to develop and test a novel youth-informed video-based program to effectively influence young adolescents to avoid risky behaviors leading to gun violence. Through an innovative iterative process by first seeking the perspective of youth with lived experience with gun violence regarding salient topics and messaging. Next, by garnering the valuable input and guidance of experienced community-based violence interrupters and a multidisciplinary team of other violence content experts to create a series of videos that will resonate with young adolescents. The videos will include awareness about consequences of gun use, peaceful conflict resolution skills, hope for the future, and gaining adult support, in addition to other topics. The investigators will seek community feedback to ensure relatability and cultural humility. The video series will be delivered as a program ("Rise Up Against Gun Violence") including guided discussions, and will be implemented and rigorously tested in diverse community settings in high-risk neighborhoods in Houston and Memphis. The investigators hypothesize that the program, developed using a holistic and community-based approach, will influence adolescent attitudes, awareness, and behavior change regarding violent conflict and gun carrying, and ultimately change social norms regarding risks of gun use. This is an upstream and novel prevention strategy for community gun violence.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

Children between 11 and 15 years of age
Residing in one of the six identified high-risk communities, with or without prior exposure to gun violence

Exclusion criteria

Not fluent in English or Spanish
Under the guardianship of Child Protective Services (CPS)
Documented suicidal ideation at the time of screening
Not mentally capable of providing informed assent

Treatment and study plan

Rise Up! video-based program

Other

Watch series of videos followed by guided discussion after each video.

Primary outcomes

Attitude change about the consequences of gun carrying and fighting

Time frame: 9 months

Participants will complete validated pre- and post-intervention surveys adapted from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Attitudes Toward Violence Survey, Teen Conflict Survey, and Individual Protective Factors Index. Survey items use Likert-type and frequency-based response scales to assess changes in knowledge, attitudes, conflict resolution behaviors, and protective factors related to violence prevention. Higher scores indicate improved protective factors and more positive conflict resolution attitudes.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Rise Up! A Youth-Informed Video Program To Prevent Community Violence Before The First Shot

Important dates

Study start: 2026
Primary completion: 2028
Study completion: 2028
First posted: Apr 23, 2026
Registry last updated: Apr 30, 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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