Development and factor analysis of a measure of youth attitudes toward guns and violence

Urban Teen Perspectives on Gun Violence: a Mixed Methods Study

We aimed to explore perspectives of teenagers on their exposure to gun violence (GV), their knowledge and attitudes towards firearm injury prevention (FIP) efforts, and how to counsel them about FIP. Teens from two single-sex Bronx Catholic high schools participated in videoconferencing focus groups. Participants completed an online survey collecting demographic information and Likert-scale scoring of attitudes towards GV. Quantitative data was analyzed with descriptive statistics. Focus group discussions were recorded and transcribed. Using Dedoose, two investigators independently coded data and achieved consensus using content analysis. Six focus groups (3 from each school, n = 28 participants) were held from October-November 2020. A total of 27 participants completed the survey. Eighty-one percent of respondents agreed "Doctors should talk to teens about gun safety." During focus groups, participants reported personal, community, and entertainment media exposure to GV. GV elicited many emotions, including fear and frustration. Teens identified factors contributing to GV that should be addressed, including poverty, racism, and mental illness. Most had not received prior FIP education and desired more information from trusted adults. They preferred discussions over written materials and information given over time. Teens were open to doctors counseling on FIP during healthcare visits and suggested including screening questions on surveys, conversations during healthcare maintenance visits, and classroom talks by physicians. Bronx teens are exposed to and distressed by community GV. They desired more FIP education, including physician counseling during healthcare visits. Next steps are to create and test FIP guidance for adolescents.

Effect of a Gun Safety Video on Children's Behavior Around Real Guns: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Firearms are the leading cause of death for children in the US. It is therefore crucial to identify effective ways to reduce firearm injuries among children.

Objective

To test the effectiveness of a gun safety video vs a car safety video on decreasing unsafe behaviors around real guns after exposure to a violent movie with vs without guns.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Of 245 participants aged 8 to 12 years, 226 were tested (13 did not complete the laboratory portion, 4 had technical problems, and 2 did not respond to follow-up inquiries). Data were collected from February 2 to October 16, 2022. Participants were recruited via Facebook ads, ResearchMatch, and parent or guardian referrals. The study was conducted in 2 parts. Children watched a safety video at home 1 week before coming to the laboratory at The Ohio State University.

Interventions

Pairs of children were randomly assigned to watch a 1-minute gun or car safety video at home. In the laboratory, they were randomly assigned to watch a 20-minute clip from a violent PG-rated movie with or without guns. Next, they played with games and toys for 20 minutes in another room that contained 2 disabled 9-mm handguns hidden in a file cabinet drawer. Sessions were videotaped via a hidden camera.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Outcomes were whether children told an adult, touched a handgun, handled it, or pulled the trigger. Control variables were age, gender, race and ethnicity, trait aggressiveness, age-inappropriate media exposure, firearm attitude and interest, presence of firearms at home, and whether children had taken a firearm safety course.

Results

Of 226 children (mean [SD] age, 9.99 [1.38] years; 113 [52.3%] male), 216 (95.6%) found a gun and were included in analyses. Those who saw the gun (vs car) safety video were more likely to tell an adult about the gun they found (38 of 112 [33.9%] vs 11 of 104 [10.6%]), were less likely to touch the gun (44 of 112 [39.3%] vs 70 of 104 [67.3%]), held the gun fewer seconds if they did touch it (mean [SD], 42.04 [121.46] vs 98.96 [195.10]), were less likely to pull the trigger at all (10 of 112 [8.9%] vs 31 of 104 [29.8%]), and pulled the trigger fewer times (mean [SD], 4.20 [20.17] vs 7.23 [15.75]). Being male, exposure to age-inappropriate movies, and gun interest were related to unsafe behavior. Prior completion of a firearm safety course, having guns at home, and negative gun attitudes were related to safe behavior.

Conclusions

In this trial of children assigned to watch a gun or car safety video, watching a gun safety video reduced children's unsafe behavior around real guns. Children who had previously taken a gun safety course, had guns in the home, and had negative attitudes toward guns were less likely to engage in unsafe behavior around real guns. To encourage safe firearm behavior, children should be educated about gun safety and should not watch age-inappropriate media.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05257837.

Sociodemographic and gun possession factors contributing to gun policy attitudes among undergraduate students

ObjectiveExamine the sociodemographic and gun possession factors associated with gun policy attitudes among undergraduates.MethodsUndergraduates at a west coast university (N = 1,474) completed a questionnaire with measures of country of birth, political ideology, gender identity, gun possession at one's own residence, friends' and family's gun possession, and attitudes about concealed carry, ban on assault weapons, and guns at home.ResultsParticipants born outside of the United States are likely to oppose all types of gun policies; the effects of gender identity and political ideology are consistent with existing research, with conservatism supporting policies that make more guns available, and female and gender-identity-minority participants opposing them; and the effects of gun possession are not fully consistent with existing research.ConclusionMore research is needed to reconcile the results. University administrators may employ this study's main takeaways to tailor programs for foreign-born students, female students, and politically motivated students.

Testing Moral Disengagement and Proteus Effect Predictions on Feelings of Guilt and Self-Empowerment Attributed to Bearing Guns

This study (179 participants, mean age 19. 98, 85% female) examined how violence justification via avatar role manipulations affected first-person shooter game players' subsequent feelings of guilt and self-empowerment attributed to bearing guns in the real-world. In support of the moral disengagement in violent video games model, an independent samples t-test suggested that participants assigned to play as gang members shooting at police officers felt guiltier than those assigned to play as police officers shooting at gang members. In support of Proteus effect predictions linked with self-perception and priming mechanisms, a one-way repeated measures analysis of variance suggested that self-empowerment attributed to carrying guns for both avatar roles increased from baseline to after gameplay, but avatar roles did not influence the increase. The lack of influence could be because participants did not adopt avatar behaviors with undesirable connotations. The results highlight avatar-user bonds through which the associations raised by virtual personas affected players' emotions and self-perception when engaging in simulated violence.

PTSD and Attitudes Toward Guns Following Interpersonal Trauma

Gun violence is a serious public health concern that is currently grossly understudied. Gun attitudes are a potential risk factor for gun violence; however, factors related to gun attitudes have not been identified. Mental illness such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly discussed as a key factor in gun violence, despite research lacking in this area, and it is unknown whether symptoms of PTSD and probable PTSD are associated with more positive attitudes toward guns. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relations between PTSD symptoms and gun attitudes among 265 undergraduate students who experienced at least one interpersonal traumatic event (M_age = 24.69 years, SD = 7.15 years, 75.6% female, 61.1% White). Path analysis revealed that individuals with PTSD symptoms above clinical cutoff were not more likely to have more positive gun attitudes. However, the PTSD symptom clusters evinced distinct relations with gun attitudes. Intrusion and avoidance symptoms were related to gun beliefs regarding protection, with intrusion symptoms being linked to a stronger belief that guns provide protection from crime and victimization (β = .23), whereas avoidance symptoms were inversely associated with this belief (β = -.22). Interestingly, neither trauma related in feelings and thoughts nor arousal and reactivity corresponded with gun attitudes. Certain PTSD symptom clusters may be relevant in understanding gun beliefs, with specific symptoms exhibiting distinct ties to gun attitudes.

The Youth Firearm Risk and Safety Tool (Youth-FiRST): Psychometrics and Validation of a Gun Attitudes and Violence Exposure Assessment Tool

This study reports on the development of a comprehensive assessment of exposure to guns and gun-related violence for evaluating the risk of gun-related trauma. Gun access, gun attitudes, gun safety education, and exposure to gun violence were measured. Participants were 630 youth, aged 2-17. Youth, ages 10-17, completed a self-report survey and caregivers of young children, ages 2-9, completed the survey as a proxy for that child. The youth were from urban (n = 286) and rural (n = 344) areas. Factor analysis, item response theory, and structural equation modeling were used. Two factors described access to guns, two factors described gun attitudes, and a single construct captured gun safety education. The gun violence exposure factor showed strong associations with trauma symptomatology. The individual constructs showed good psychometric properties and measurement noninvariance by urbanicity.

Happiness is a warm gun? Gun ownership and happiness in the United States (1973-2018)

Although there is no empirical evidence linking gun ownership with happiness, speculation is widespread. In this paper, we assess the association between gun ownership and happiness. We use 27 years of national cross-sectional data from the General Social Survey (1973-2018) and logistic regression to model self-rated happiness as a function of gun ownership (n = 37,960). In bivariate and partially adjusted models, we observed that the odds of being very happy were higher for respondents who reported having a gun in their home. This association persisted with adjustments for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, employment status, household income, financial satisfaction, financial change, number of children, religious attendance, political affiliation, urban residence, region of interview, and survey year. In our fully adjusted model, gun ownership was unrelated to happiness. The original association between gun ownership and happiness was entirely confounded by marital status. In other words, gun owners only appeared happier because they are more likely to be married, which increases happiness. In the first study of gun ownership and happiness, we found that people who own guns and people who do not own guns tend to exhibit similar levels of happiness. This general pattern was consistent across nearly three decades of national surveys, a wide range of subgroups, and different measures of happiness. Our analyses are important because they contribute to our understanding of the epidemiology of happiness. They also indirectly challenge theoretical perspectives and cultural narratives about how guns contribute to feelings of safety, power, and pleasure.

A Longitudinal Study of Gun Violence Attitudes: Role of Childhood Aggression and Exposure to Violence, and Early Adolescent Bullying Perpetration and Victimization

This prospective study examined the effects of early childhood physical aggression and violence exposure on bullying victimization/perpetration and attitudes toward guns and violence in early adolescence (EA) in a high-risk sample. Participants included 216 mother-child dyads from an ongoing longitudinal study using multi-method assessments (e.g., classroom observations, laboratory assessment, parent-, teacher-, and child self-reports). Results supported a developmental pathway from early adversity (i.e., prenatal substance use) to aggression at kindergarten age to bullying perpetration and gun violence attitudes (aggressive responses to shame) in EA. Higher peer victimization was also associated with aggressive responses to shame in EA. Results are discussed in light of the complexity of the motives for aggression and the need for prevention and early intervention.

Effect of Exposure to Gun Violence in Video Games on Children's Dangerous Behavior With Real Guns: A Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Among resource-rich countries, the United States has the highest rate of child mortality by unintentional firearm use.

OBJECTIVE

To test whether children's exposure to violent video games increases dangerous behavior around firearms.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This randomized clinical trial was set in a university laboratory and included pairs of children aged 8 to 12 years who knew each other. Of 313 participants who signed up, 250 were tested (2 arrived without partners, 61 did not arrive to participate). Of the 250 children tested, 8 were excluded (2 did not complete the study, 2 had participated in a related study, and 4 were outliers). Each child was paid $25. Data were collected July 1, 2017, to July 31, 2018.

INTERVENTIONS

In a 3-group randomized design, pairs of children played or watched 1 of 3 versions of the game Minecraft for 20 minutes: (1) violent with guns, (2) violent with swords, or (3) nonviolent. The pairs of children were then placed in a different room and were told they could play with toys and games for 20 minutes. A cabinet in the room contained 2 hidden disabled handguns with counters for trigger pulls. Play sessions were videotaped.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Main outcomes were touching a handgun, seconds spent holding a handgun, and number of trigger pulls (including at oneself or the partner). Control variables included sex, age, trait aggressiveness, exposure to violent media, attitudes toward guns, presence of firearms in the home, interest in firearms, and whether the child had taken a firearm safety course.

RESULTS

Of 242 participants, 220 children (mean [SD] age, 9.9 [1.4] years; 129 [58.6%] boys) found a gun and were included in analysis. Among the 76 children who played the video game that included gun violence, 47 children (61.8%) touched a handgun. Among the 74 children who played the video game that included sword violence, 42 (56.8%) touched a handgun. Among the 70 children who played the nonviolent video game, 31 (44.3%) touched a handgun. Participants who played a violent version of the game were more likely to shoot at themselves or their partners than those who played a nonviolent game. Other risk factors for dangerous behavior around firearms included self-reported habitual exposure to violent media and trait aggressiveness. Self-reported exposure to violent media was positively associated with total trigger pulls (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.40; 95% CI, 1.00-1.98) and trigger pulls at oneself or one's partner (IRR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.29-2.72). Trait aggression was positively associated with total trigger pulls (IRR, 13.52; 95% CI, 3.14-58.29), trigger pulls at oneself or one's partner (IRR, 25.69; 95% CI, 5.92-111.39), and time spent holding a handgun (IRR, 4.22; 95% CI, 1.62-11.02). One protective factor was having taken a firearm safety training course.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Exposure to violent video games increases children's dangerous behavior around firearms.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03259139.

Managing Conflicts in Urban Communities: Youth Attitudes Regarding Gun Violence

Gun violence remains a pressing public health concern, especially in high-risk urban environments. Community-level violence intervention efforts are being mounted in cities across the United States to prevent and reduce the most severe forms of violence. There is growing evidence to suggest the effectiveness of the Safe Streets Program/ Cure Violence as a community-based intervention to reduce homicides and shootings. The mechanism underlying the reductions in community violence is theorized to be linked with changes in attitudes toward violence as well as shifts in social norms related to violence and retaliation, but there are few tools to assess these domains. This preliminary investigation sought to establish the metric properties of the Survey on Attitudes About Guns and Shootings (SAGAS) with the goal of providing an empirical measure of attitudes and community-level norms. Males aged 18 to 24 were surveyed using the SAGAS in two high-violence communities in Baltimore, Maryland, using street intercept methodology. We found acceptable reliability and validity metrics for the SAGAS. Reliability and validity of the SAGAS were assessed using internal consistency and a latent class analysis with violent behavior outcomes. The internal consistency of the total scale was in the extensive range (α = .70-.79) and the internal consistency of the factors was in the exemplary range (α ≥ .80). In addition, latent classes of attitudes were predictive of being arrested or being shot. Future studies will examine if rates of violence decrease in neighborhoods targeted by the Safe Streets Program and the mediating role of attitudes toward gun violence using the SAGAS.

Adaptation and validation of the disruptive behaviour disorders teacher rating scale as a screening tool for early detection of disruptive behaviour disorders in schools in a lower-middle income setting

Background Despite the need to curb the menace resulting from the negative trajectory of disruptive behaviour disorders (DBD) in societies of the world today, there is yet a dearth of locally standardised tools for the early detection of these disorders in Nigeria. This study was aimed at standardising the DBD teacher rating scale (DBD-TRS) to be culturally specific using teachers' ratings of their students. Objectives To establish norm scores for the three categories of DBD on the DBD-TRS, to evaluate the reliability, validity, predictive power, sensitivity and specificity of DBD-TRS items for identifying DBD symptoms amongst children/adolescents between the ages of 4 and 16 years. Methods A cross-sectional survey of the five divisions of Lagos was conducted using multi-stage sampling technique. A randomly selected sample of teachers from a selection of regular schools across the five divisions of Lagos retrospectively rated systematically selected samples of their students in absentia; by referring to the names in their class registers for the recently concluded school session. The DBD-TRS and the previously validated strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) were used for the ratings. Results Ratings were completed for 1508 children/adolescents by 197 teachers from 30 regular schools. The norm scores for the three categories of DBD were determined by gender, age, and grade/class. Satisfactory psychometric properties were established for the DBD rating scale. All DBD items had high negative predictive power and positive predictive power, high specificity, and low false positive rates. However, ADHD items had lower PPP (0.23-0.55). Conclusion The DBD rating scale demonstrated sufficient technical merits to be used as a preliminary tool for identifying children that may require further clinical evaluation by mental health experts for behavioural disorders.

Effects of Exposure to Gun Violence in Movies on Children's Interest in Real Guns

IMPORTANCE

More US children die by accidental gun use than children in other developed countries. One factor that can influence children's interest in guns is exposure to media containing guns.

OBJECTIVE

To test whether children who see a movie containing guns will handle a real gun longer and will pull the trigger more times than children who see the same movie not containing guns.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

One hundred four children aged 8 to 12 years recruited through advertisements were randomly assigned in pairs to watch a 20-minute PG-rated movie containing or not containing guns in a university laboratory. Children then played with toys and games in a room for 20 minutes while being video recorded. A cabinet in the room contained a real (disabled) gun with a sensor counting trigger pulls. Recordings were coded for the time spent holding the gun and in aggressive play. Data were collected from July 15, 2015, through January 1, 2016, and analyzed using generalized estimating equations (Tweedie log-link for time spent holding the gun; Poisson log-link for pulling the trigger).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The 2 main outcomes were time spent holding the gun and the number of trigger pulls. Control variables included sex, age, trait aggressiveness, exposure to violent media, interest in guns, and number of guns at home.

RESULTS

Among the 104 study participants (62 boys [59.6%] and 42 girls [40.4%]; mean (SD) age, 9.9 [1.5] years), the adjusted median number of trigger pulls among children who saw the movie containing guns was 2.8 (interquartile range [IQR], 0.2-2.8) compared with 0.01 (IQR, 0.01-0.2) among children who saw the movie not containing guns (adjusted odds ratio, 22.3; 95% CI, 6.0-83.4; P < .001). The adjusted median number of seconds spent holding the gun among children who saw a movie containing guns was 53.1 (IQR, 35.5-53.1) compared with 11.1 (IQR, 10.7-16.7) among children who saw the movie not containing guns (adjusted odds ratio, 3.0; 95% CI, 0.9-9.9; P = .07). Qualitative analyses on 4 pairs from each condition found that children who saw the movie containing guns also played more aggressively and sometimes fired the gun at people (ie, self, partner, or passersby on street).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Children in the United States frequently have access to unsecured firearms and frequently consume media containing guns. This experiment shows that children who see movie characters use guns are more likely to use guns themselves.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier NCT03220412.

Attitude to Non-Violence Scale: Validity and Practical Use

This study used recent advances in attitude and self-perception research to develop an Attitude to Non-Violence Scale (ANVS). Participants were students from six high schools in Australia ( N = 727). Confirmatory factor analysis using within-construct and between-construct validation approaches found two positive attitude sub-scales: Cognitive (proactive understanding) and Affective (do not endorse violence), both showing convergent and discriminant validity. Scale equivalence tests found that the sub-scales were applicable to boys and girls and to junior and senior grades. Structural equation modeling found that boys had less supportive attitudes to non-violence cognitively, whereas female students in senior secondary classes had less positive attitudes to non-violence affectively. The ANVS can be easily administered to assess youth's non-violence attitudes, which may direct interventions focusing on boys' cognitive aspects while maintaining girls' positive affective attitudes toward non-violence as they mature. The positively framed instrument is suitable for education settings especially in high-risk locations where violence is prevalent.

Do Guns in the Home Predict Gender and Relationship Attitudes? An Exploratory Study

This study explores the potential relationship of guns in students' homes with attitudes indicative of tolerance of violence, negative attitudes toward women and their roles, and attitudes suggestive of myths regarding sexual assault. Seniors in Kentucky high schools whose families possessed guns (N=1749) produced higher scores on scales measuring these variables as well as on scales of relationship dependency and religious involvement than seniors whose families did not own guns (N=912). Students whose families owned more than 10 guns tended to score highest on these measures compared with students whose families owned no or a few guns. Because of lower effect sizes, these significant associations require further investigation.

The moderating role of aggressiveness in response to campaigns and interventions promoting anti-violence attitudes

This research indicates that a critical factor for understanding the success or failure of anti-violence campaigns is the aggressiveness of the target audience. We propose that person and situation interact in predicting post-intervention attitudes toward violence, fighting expectations, and intentions to learn how to use real guns. Across two studies conducted in different countries and with different age populations, we found that anti-violence campaigns were effective, only for those for whom the message was already pro-attitudinal (low trait aggressiveness). In contrast, for individuals with relatively higher scores in trait aggressiveness, there was no difference in attitudes toward violence between those who received the anti-violence intervention and those assigned to the control group. In fact, the anti-violence messages resulted in a boomerang effect, increasing the favorability of attitudes toward violence in one of the studies. Aggr. Behav. 42:471-482, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Changes in Attitudes toward Guns and Shootings following Implementation of the Baltimore Safe Streets Intervention

Among youth 15 to 24 years of age, homicide and nonfatal shootings are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. Urban youth's attitudes and perceptions about the use of gun violence to resolve conflict present a major barrier to efforts to reduce gun homicides and nonfatal shootings. The current investigation extends the existing literature on attitudes toward guns and shootings among high-risk youth ages 18 to 24 by measuring perceived norms and viewpoints regarding gun violence in two analogous Baltimore City neighborhoods pre-implementation and 1-year post-implementation of the Safe Streets intervention (adapted from the CeaseFire/Cure Violence intervention). The Safe Streets intervention is designed for communities with high rates of gun violence and utilizes outreach workers to identify and build trusting relationships with youth ages 15 to 24 who are at greatest risk of being involved in gun violence. The outreach workers also position themselves in the community so that they can rapidly intervene in disputes that have the potential to lead to gun violence. Chi-squared tests and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) were used to examine changes in attitudes toward gun violence 1 year after the implementation of the Safe Streets intervention. There was a statistically significantly improvement in 43 % of the attitudes assessed in the intervention community post-intervention compared to 13 % of the attitudes in the control community. There was a statistically significant improvement in the violent attitudes toward personal conflict resolution scale after implementation of the intervention in both the intervention (b = -0.522, p < 0.001) and control community (b = -0.204, p < 0.032). Exposure to the intervention (e.g., seeing stop shooting signs in your neighborhood) was also associated with the nonviolent attitudes toward conflict scale. Overall, the study found greater improvement in attitudes toward violence in the intervention community following the implementation of the Safe Streets program. These findings offer promising insights into future community violence prevention efforts.

An Initial Exploration into the Psychological Implications of Adolescents’ Involvement with Professional Wrestling

Professional wrestling has become an internationally popular type of ‘sport entertainment’ among youth. The professional wrestling industry targets children as consumers for live events, televised programming and product merchandising. However, the nature of wrestling has changed in the last two decades and many educators are unaware of the themes and messages that wrestling promotes. This article provides a historical and contemporary overview of professional wrestling and discusses the psychological implications of the violence of wrestling on children. In an initial study, measures of wrestling involvement, aggressive response to shame and Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) scores were analysed for 121 male participants (ages 10 to 17). Results indicated that those participants reporting more wrestling involvement tended to respond more aggressively to shame, demonstrated moderately higher levels of school maladjustment, showed higher levels of internalizing problems such as anxiety and social stress and showed lower levels of self-esteem and perceived self-adequacy. Directions for future research and implications for school psychologists are discussed.

Escala de Atitudes frente à Arma de Fogo (EAFAF): Evidências de Sua Adequação Psicométrica

RESUMO Este artigo objetivou verificar a validade de construto da Escala de Atitudes Frente à Arma de Fogo (EAFAF). No Estudo 1, participaram 200 policiais militares do Distrito Federal, com idade média de 27,75 anos (DP=2,98), dos quais 88,8 % eram homens. Eles responderam a EAFAF e perguntas demográficas. A análise dos componentes principais indicou uma estrutura tri-fatorial, cujos alfas de Cronbach foram 0,81 (direito), 0,76 (proteção) e 0,65 (crime). No Estudo 2, participaram 220 estudantes universitários, com idade média de 24,37 anos (DP=7,58), dos quais 53,0% eram mulheres. Testou-se a estrutura tri-fatorial por meio de análise fatorial confirmatória. Os indicadores de ajuste foram satisfatórios. Os alfas de Cronbach foram 0,81, 0,76, 0,75. O estudo indicou que mulheres tendem a associar armas de fogo a crime, enquanto homens as associam a proteção e direito.

An analysis of inner-city students' attitudes towards violence before and after participation in the "Cradle to Grave" programme

BACKGROUND

Cradle to Grave (C2G), a hospital-based violence prevention programme, brings inner-city youth into an urban Level I trauma centre to follow the path of an adolescent gunshot victim from trauma bay to morgue. We hypothesised that C2G alters student attitudes towards gun violence.

METHODS

Eighty-eight adolescents were prospectively enrolled. With parental and student consent, students completed the Attitudes Towards Guns and Violence Questionnaire (AGVQ), a previously validated and reliable social science assessment tool. Two weeks later, the students participated in C2G. The survey was re-administered four weeks after C2G participation. AGVQ results are reported both as a total score and as a breakdown of the four component subscales. Higher AGVQ scores indicate proclivity towards violence. ANOVA compared scores with respect to demographics and type of school (public vs. charter).

RESULTS

C2G altered student's attitudes towards guns and violence. Of 43 public school students, total scores decreased following C2G (p=0.02). The greatest attitudinal change occurred in subscale 1, "Aggressive Response to Shame" (p<0.01). C2G failed to produce significant changes AGVQ scores in the 45 students attending a city charter school. The two groups were found to have baseline differences, with public school students showing higher baseline tendencies towards violence.

CONCLUSIONS

Our hospital-based programme is capable of positively impacting adolescents' attitudes towards guns and violence. This effect is most pronounced in subjects who already display increased tendencies towards violence. These results suggest that hospitals offer a unique opportunity to address the public health crisis posed by inner-city firearm violence.

[How valid are student self-reports of bullying in schools?]

In this study we examine the reliability and validity of students' self-reports about bullying and victimization in schools. 208 5th class students of four "middle schools" in Southern Germany filled in the Bully-Victim-Questionnaire (Olweus, 1989, adapted by Lösel, Bliesener, Averbeck, 1997) and the School Climate Survey (Brockenborough, 2001) to assess the prevalence of bullying/victimization, and to evaluate attitudes towards aggression and support for victims. By using reliability and validity criteria, one third (31%) of the questionnaires was classified as "unreliable/invalid". Mean comparisons of the "unreliable/invalid" group and the "valid" group of the subscales concerning bullying/victimization found significant differences. The "unreliable/invalid" group stated higher values of bullying and victimization. Based on the "unreliable/invalid" questionnaires more students could be identified as bullies/victims or bully-victims. The prevalence of bullying/victimization in the whole sample was reduced if "unreliable/invalid" questionnaires were excluded. The results are discussed in the framework of theories about the presentation of the self ("impression management', "social desirability") and systematic response patterns ("extreme response bias").

Coming to know ourselves as community through a nursing partnership with adolescents convicted of murder

This research applies Newman's hermeneutic-dialectic method of pattern recognition to the lives of 12 adolescent males convicted of murder who were invited to be co-investigators in the process of understanding patterns of meaningful relationships and experiences in their lives. Comparison of the 12 life patterns revealed a strikingly similar experience of interactions with the community and yielded insight into community pattern. The process of pattern recognition was found to be transformative. This article proposes a unitary-transformative process of community pattern recognition for nurses and communities interested in understanding complex community dynamics and engaging in healthy transformations.

Patterns and correlates of gun ownership among nonmetropolitan and rural middle school students

Examined prevalence of gun ownership and the links among gun ownership, reasons for gun ownership, and antisocial behavior in a sample of nonmetropolitan and rural middle school students. Participants completed the Questionnaire for Students (Olweus, 1995) and included 6,263 students from 36 elementary and middle schools, of whom most were African American (range = 46%-95% per school). Reasons for gun ownership were strongly associated with rates of antisocial behavior. Youths who owned guns for sporting reasons reported rates of antisocial behavior that were only slightly higher than those reported by youths who did not own guns. Youths who owned guns to gain respect or to frighten others reported extremely high rates of antisocial behavior. These high-risk adolescent gun owners were likely to come from families of high-risk gun owners, associate with friends who were high-risk gun owners, and engage in high rates of bullying behavior. Findings suggest that effective violence prevention programs must target high-risk youths, address risk factors that go beyond individual settings, and address a comprehensive array of risk factors.

Development and factor analysis of a measure of youth attitudes toward guns and violence

Administered the Attitudes Toward Guns and Violence Questionnaire (AGVQ) to 1,619 students in Grades 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, and 12 from four demographically diverse school systems. Fifty-two of the 61 items exhibited satisfactory part-whole correlation and correlation with a validity criterion. Factor analysis revealed four main factors: Aggressive Response to Shame, Comfort With Aggression, Excitement, and Power/Safety. The instrument was reduced to 23 items by deleting items with high cross-loadings. Construct validity was similar for the longer and shorter versions. Youth who self-reported owning a gun produced scores 1.5 SD higher than nonowners. Low scores were associated with a 1 in 125 chance of gun ownership, and high scores were associated with a 1 in 3 chance. Congruency coefficients indicated similar factor structure for the present sample and a separate sample of 5th-, 7th- and 9th-grade students. These results indicate that the AGVQ is a reliable and valid measure of violence-related attitudes in young people.