Evaluating the function and psychometric properties of a violence risk screening tool in a community sample of adolescents.

Youth violence continues to be widespread. Despite numerous evidence-based programs that reduce youth violence, objective ways to identify youth in need of services is lacking. Few screening tools are available that enables practitioners or community organizations to predict who may perpetrate serious violence. The Violence Injury Protection and Risk Screen (VIPRS) is a previously validated screening tool providing a framework to address youth violence. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the VIPRS in a community sample for use in multiple settings. Youth participating in a community-focused youth violence prevention intervention served as the study subjects. Households with youth ages 10-17 were eligible to participate. Study personnel verbally asked youth survey questions and recorded answers on a laptop. Multiple measures-including risk factors for violent behavior as well as, violence and delinquency scales, were asked. Eleven hundred youth participated. Mean age was 13.3; 53% female, 26% Black, 58% Hispanic, 11% more than 1 race. Twenty percent screened positive on the VIPRS-28% male versus 13% female (p = .000). Violence-related behaviors were common: 33% were in a physical fight, 27% experienced cyberbullying victimization, and 9% perpetrated a minor assault. The VIPRS demonstrated robust criterion validity with significant correlation to multiple violence measures (0.3-0.6). Scoring positive on the VIPRS conveyed increased odds of reporting other violent behaviors, such as perpetrating physical aggression (OR: 7 [95% CI: 5.1-11.5]). Overall, the VIPRS performed well in a community sample of youth further validating its psychometric functioning while demonstrating the potential for use in settings beyond healthcare.

Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Youth Firearm Access, Possession or Carrying.

Firearm homicide and suicide are the leading causes of violence-related injury deaths among U.S. youth. However, evaluations of the effectiveness of firearm violence prevention programs and strategies to reducing youth firearm violence are limited. To help inform and evaluate such efforts, this study aimed to identify risk and protective factors associated with youth firearm access, possession or carrying (for reasons other than hunting or target shooting) among a sample of U.S. urban youth in the Mountain West. Findings show the influence that youth violence risk (e.g., having friends engaged in delinquency; violence; drug sales; gang fights; exposure to violence; screening positive for violence risk) can have on youth firearm access, possession or carrying. Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.

Increased Violence Involvement and Other Behavioral and Mental Health Factors Among Youth With Firearm Access.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine multiple ways youth may access firearms among a sample of urban, mountain west youth, and explore whether youth reporting various types of violence involvement and other behavioral or mental health factors have differential access to firearms compared with youth who do not report these issues. METHODS: A cross-sectional community-based survey was conducted among adolescents aged 10-17 years and one of their parents. The main outcomes were youth firearm access and possession and associated violence and behavioral and mental health factors. Bivariate and binomial logistic regression, controlling for demographic factors, was used to determine associations and predictors. RESULTS: One thousand one hundred youth and 730 parents participated. Nearly half of youth were male; 58.2% were Hispanic, 24.7% non-Hispanic black, 10.5% multiracial, 3.9% other, and 2.5% white. About 20% were categorized as having potential access to firearms (i.e., youth knows how and/or where to access firearms); 1.9% possessed a firearm. Analyses revealed that being physically aggressive (odds ratio [OR] 2.7), risk for future violence perpetration (OR 2.6), using alcohol (OR 2.0), having internalizing symptoms (OR 1.9), peer problems (OR 1.9), and older age (OR 1.26) predicted youth's possible access to firearms. Marijuana use (OR 9.9), parental gun ownership (OR 6.5), and reported delinquency (OR 8.3) predicted youth's firearm possession. CONCLUSIONS: Youth with potential firearm access demonstrate more violence risk and involvement, and other behavioral or mental health issues than youth without potential firearm access. Parental firearm ownership predicts youth firearm possession. It is important for both health-care providers and parents to recognize these potentially lethal associations to provide appropriate counseling.

Building Schools' Readiness to Implement a Comprehensive Approach to School Safety.

Research consistently finds that a comprehensive approach to school safety, which integrates the best scientific evidence and solid implementation strategies, offers the greatest potential for preventing youth violence and promoting mental and behavioral health. However, schools and communities encounter enormous challenges in articulating, synthesizing, and implementing all the complex aspects of a comprehensive approach to school safety. This paper aims to bridge the gap between scientific evidence and the application of that evidence in schools and communities by defining the key components of a comprehensive approach to school safety and describing how schools can assess their readiness to implement a comprehensive approach. We use readiness and implementation data from the Safe Communities Safe Schools project to illustrate these challenges and solutions. Our findings suggest that (1) readiness assessment can be combined with feasibility meetings to inform school selection for implementation of a comprehensive approach to school safety and (2) intentionally addressing readiness barriers as part of a comprehensive approach may lead to improvements in readiness (motivation and capacity) to effectively implement a comprehensive approach to school safety.