Enhancing an Existing Prevention Strategy to Reduce Intentional Firearm Injuries Among High-risk Youth (Phase 1)

Over the past three decades, substantial resources have been devoted to developing youth violence prevention (YVP) programs. These programs have demonstrated positive effects on reducing aggression and related behaviors, firearm-specific risk factors were largely overlooked due to historical barriers to firearm research. This omission is concerning, as firearms are now the leading cause of injury and death among U.S. youth. Existing YVP strategies such as Emerging Leaders address general violence risk but do not directly target firearm-related risks or suicide prevention. There remains a critical gap in prevention strategies that integrate firearm-specific content while leveraging established program infrastructure.

Inclusion Criteria: * Youth aged approximately 13-17 years. * Identified as at elevated risk for firearm-related injury (e.g., history of violent injury, referred by violence prevention programs). * Able to provide assent (and parental/guardian consent if under 18). * Sufficient proficiency in English to complete study procedures. Exclusion Criteria: * Significant cognitive impairment or developmental disability that would preclude comprehension of the intervention content or study procedures. * Current psychiatric or medical instability requiring immediate treatment or hospitalization. - Non-English speaking (due to limited resources for translation of study measures and intervention materials in this pilot).