The effectiveness of an ED-based violence prevention program

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Trauma Surgery
• Violence Prevention

Background:

• Youth violence is a significant public health issue in the U.S., disproportionately affecting inner-city minority populations.
• Repeat violence has high recurrence rates (6-44%) and a substantial 5-year mortality (20%).
• Emergency departments (EDs) are critical points for intervention with victims of interpersonal violence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an ED-based case management program in reducing violence recurrence among young victims.
• To assess the impact of the intervention on self-reported reinjury, arrests, and incarcerations.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 188 victims of interpersonal violence (ages 10-24) at a level 1 trauma center.
• The treatment group received case management for 6 months, while the control group received a list of services.
• Outcomes were measured at 6 and 12 months using self-reports and state records, analyzed with chi-squared and ANCOVA.

Main Results:

• The treatment group (96 subjects) and control group (92 subjects) were demographically similar.
• A significant reduction in self-reported reinjury rates was observed in the treatment group (chi-squared = 3.87, P = .05).
• No significant differences were found between groups in self-reported arrests, state-reported reinjuries, or state-reported incarcerations.

Conclusions:

• ED-based case management interventions can effectively reduce self-reported reinjury rates in young violence victims.
• Further research is necessary to determine the broader impact of such programs on other revictimization factors.