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Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs to Reduce Firearm Injuries in Children: A Scoping Review
Colleen P Nofi1, Bailey K Roberts1, Emma Cornell2
1Cohen Children's Medical Center at Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY, USA; Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY, USA.
Insights
Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) show promise for preventing reinjury in young people. Expanding these programs to younger children is crucial, as firearm injuries are a leading cause of death in this demographic.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatric Trauma
- Violence Prevention
Background:
- Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) are effective in preventing reinjury and aiding recovery from violent trauma.
- Historically, HVIPs have focused on adolescents and young adults.
- A gap exists in programs specifically targeting younger children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a scoping review of HVIPs for individuals under 18.
- To describe the evidence supporting these pediatric violence intervention programs.
- To assess the potential impact of expanding HVIPs to younger children.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review of the PubMed database was conducted.
- Search terms included "violence intervention program" combined with pediatric, children, or youth.
- Articles were screened for youth-inclusive programs, and literature was analyzed for program details, evidence, and evaluation barriers.
Main Results:
- 36 studies (23 programs) involving patients ≤18 years were identified; only 4 included children under 10.
- Many HVIPs combine brief hospital interventions with outpatient services.
- Positive outcomes include reduced risk factors, reinjury, violent behaviors, and criminal justice involvement, though specific data for younger children are limited.
Conclusions:
- HVIPs can significantly impact impressionable children, but targeted programs are lacking.
- Firearm injuries are a leading cause of death for children and adolescents.
- Prioritizing the development and evaluation of HVIPs for younger age groups is essential.
Introduction:
Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) have shown promise in preventing reinjury and enhancing recovery from violent injuries, including those related to firearms. Historically, HVIPs have primarily focused on at-risk adolescents and young adults. The aim of this study is to perform a scoping review of HVIPs targeting children under the age of 18, describe the evidence supporting these programs, and deduce the potential impact of expanding HVIPs to younger children.
Methods:
A scoping review was performed utilizing PubMed database with search terms "violence intervention program" and pediatric, or children, or youth. Articles were screened for youth-inclusive violence programs, and the literature was analyzed for program descriptions, evidence supporting interventions, and barriers to evaluation.
Results:
36 studies (covering 23 programs) were identified that met criteria (including patients ≤18 years old), with only 4 programs including children under 10. Many HVIPs utilize brief hospital interventions with longitudinal wraparound outpatient services. Despite heterogeneity in programs and studied outcomes, many HVIPs demonstrated positive outcomes, such as reduction of risk factors, decreased reinjury, decreased violent behaviors, decreased criminal justice involvement, and positive attitude or behavioral changes. Only a few studies reported increased odds of enrollment and positive impact in younger patients specifically.
Conclusions:
Children are an impressionable population in which HVIPs may have significant impact; however, there remains a gap in targeted programs. Given that firearm injuries are the leading cause of death in children and adolescents, priority should be given to piloting, implementing, and evaluating HVIPs among younger age groups.
Level Of Evidence:
Level IV.
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