Psychology, SocialNCT05257837
Follow-up Gun Study: Can Safety Videos Mitigate Interest in Guns in Children?
A study testing Gun handling behavior and Debriefing in people with Psychology, Social and Adolescent Behavior, run by Ohio State University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The investigators' previous research has shown that children exposed to media characters with guns in movies and video games are more likely to use real guns themselves (e.g., touch them, hold them, pull the trigger). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 8 to 12 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Psychology, Social, Adolescent Behavior
- What is being tested?
- Gun handling behavior and Debriefing
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 245 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 2 Feb 2022to 16 Oct 2022
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 8 to 12 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Age 8-12 yrs
- No prior participation in the study
- Able to schedule participation with a known peer (8-12yo).
Who cannot join
- Younger than 8 yrs old
- Older than 12 yrs old
- Prior study participation
- Could not schedule participation with a known peer (8-12yo)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: A Gun Safety Video Can Reduce Children's Unsafe Behavior Around Real Guns: A Randomized Clinical Trial
The investigators' previous research has shown that children exposed to media characters with guns in movies and video games are more likely to use real guns themselves (e.g., touch them, hold them, pull the trigger). This research tests whether exposure to a gun safety video a week before the study can help counteract dangerous behavior around guns.
Read the detailed description
Guns are prominent in movies that target children. An analysis of top selling films found that the depiction of guns in violent scenes in PG-13 films that target youth has increased from the level of G and PG files in 1985 when the rating was introduced, to the level of R films by 2005, to exceed the level of R films since 2012, a trend that has continued.
Research in the investigator's lab has shown that children are more likely to use guns (e.g., handle them, pull the trigger) after exposure to movie characters who use guns. The investigators replicated this study using video games, and also found that children who had taken a gun safety course were less likely to engage in dangerous behavior around firearms. However, it is difficult to draw causal inferences about the gun safety course because children were not randomly assigned to take or not take a gun safety course.
The present research will aim to reduce dangerous behavior around firearms by first exposing participants to a gun safety video recorded by The Ohio State University Chief of Police. The control video is about car safety. Children will see the videos about a week before they come into the lab.
In the lab, children will be tested in pairs. They will first watch a film clip from one of two different PG rated films, either in its original form (with guns) or with the guns edited out. After exposure to the film, participants will be placed in a room with toys, including two real unloaded guns that have been modified for safety and include a trigger pull counter.
The study uses 2 (gun safety video vs. car safety video) X 2 (movie with guns vs. movie without guns) between-subjects factorial design.
The investigators predict that children will be less likely to engage in dangerous behavior around real firearms after viewing the gun safety video than those who viewed the car safety video, even if they see a movie with guns in the lab.
- Conditions
- Psychology, Social, Adolescent Behavior
- Being tested
- Gun handling behavior, Debriefing
- Keywords
- adolescent, gun, violence, media
- Medical subject headings
- Adolescent Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Gun handling behaviorBehavioural
Children will play in an observed room for 20 minutes. Aside from a selection of toys, two real handguns will be placed in a drawer. The handguns have been modified so they cannot fire. Inside the magazine, the handgun contains no bullets. Instead, it contains a sensor that counts the number of times the trigger is pulled with sufficient force to discharge the gun. This allows us to distinguish reliably the children who pull the trigger from those who handle the gun but do not pull the trigger
DebriefingOther
Children and their parents will be debriefed on the actual purpose of the study, including the role of the safety video and how the movie clips were edited.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Gun safety vid x Movie clip - guns present | Experimental | Participants in this condition will view a gun safety video featuring The Ohio State University Chief of Police about a week before coming into the lab. In the lab, they will watch a ~20 minute clip of either The Rocketeer or National Treasure featuring guns. Receives: Behavioral: Gun handling behavior; Other: Debriefing |
| Gun safety vid x Movie clip - guns absent | Active comparator | Participants in this condition will view a gun safety video featuring The Ohio State University Chief of Police about a week before coming into the lab. In the lab, they will watch a ~20 minute clip of either The Rocketeer or National Treasure with the guns edited out. Receives: Behavioral: Gun handling behavior; Other: Debriefing |
| Seatbelt safety video x Movie clip - guns present | Active comparator | Participants in this condition will view a seatbelt safety video about a week before coming into the lab. In the lab, they will watch a ~20 minute clip of either The Rocketeer or National Treasure featuring guns. Receives: Behavioral: Gun handling behavior; Other: Debriefing |
| Seatbelt safety video x Movie clip - guns absent | Active comparator | Participants in this condition will view a seatbelt safety video about a week before coming into the lab. In the lab, they will watch a ~20 minute clip of either The Rocketeer or National Treasure featuring guns. Receives: Behavioral: Gun handling behavior; Other: Debriefing |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Behavioral: Gun Location
Trained research assistants, blind to video game condition and experimental hypotheses, will independently code the play session videos. Coders will identify whether the participants found the handguns, how long the participants held the handgun, and whether or not they pulled the trigger.
Measured: 20 minutes play session
Behavioral: Gun Location Response - Told Adult
If the participants found the handguns, the coders will identify whether the participants told an adult.
Measured: 20 minutes play session
Behavioral: Gun Location Response - Touched Gun
If the participants found the handguns, the coders will identify whether the participants touched the handgun.
Measured: 20 minute play session
Behavioral: Gun Holding Time
If participants handle the gun, coders will record how long the gun was held.
Measured: 20 minutes play session
Behavioral: Trigger Pulled
When the gun was handled, this measures whether or not the participant(s) pulled the trigger.
Measured: 20 minute play session
Number of Trigger Pulls
The two guns hidden in the playroom contain sensors that count how often the trigger is pulled with sufficient force to discharge the gun. A counter on the weapon displays the number of pulls, which will be entered into a data file along with the observational data described below. Observational data will also be used to confirm trigger pull counts.
Note: This measure includes all 216 participants who found the handguns.
Measured: 20 minutes play session
Gun Pointing With Trigger Pull
Trained research assistants, blind to video game condition and experimental hypotheses, will independently code the play session videos. If participants pulled the trigger, were they pointing the gun at themselves or their partners?
Calculations done using all participants who found a firearm.
Measured: 20 minute play session
Secondary outcomes (1)
Attitudes Toward Guns
Participants will complete a post-test questionnaire that collects data on the child's attitudes towards guns. Questionnaire is a 15-item attitudes towards guns survey (e.g., "I don't like being around people with guns because someone could end up getting hurt"; 0=strongly disagree to 4=strongly agree
Measured: After 20 minutes play session, 5 minute questionnaire
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted25 Feb 2022
- Study start2 Feb 2022
- Primary completion16 Oct 2022
- Study completion16 Oct 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Psychology, SocialStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Ohio State UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Participants are randomly assigned to watch a safety video about guns or a safety video about seatbelts. Participants are then randomly assigned to watch a movie containing guns, or a movie not containing guns. Outlier data will be excluded in analysis.
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 245 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Ohio State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Brad Bushman, Ohio State University
- Investigators
- Brad J Bushman, PhD, Principal investigator, Ohio State University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05257837
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2021B0318
- Status last verified
- Oct 2024
- First submitted
- 20 Sep 2021
- Last updated
- 20 Nov 2024
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Deidentified data will be shared upon request
Publications
Kjaervik SL, Bushman BJ. Effect of a Gun Safety Video on Children's Behavior Around Real Guns: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Pediatr. 2023 Sep 1;177(9):903-910. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.2397.
PubMed 37459089
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 Nov 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Gun Safety Video Can Reduce Children's Unsafe Behavior Around Real Guns: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05257837
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2021B0318
- Conditions
- Psychology, Social, Adolescent Behavior
- Keywords
- adolescent, gun, violence, media
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 245 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Ohio State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 2 Feb 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 16 Oct 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 16 Oct 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 25 Feb 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 20 Nov 2024
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The investigators' previous research has shown that children exposed to media characters with guns in movies and video games are more likely to use real guns themselves (e.g., touch them, hold them, pull the trigger). This research tests whether exposure to a gun safety video a week before the study can help counteract dangerous behavior around guns.
Detailed description
Guns are prominent in movies that target children. An analysis of top selling films found that the depiction of guns in violent scenes in PG-13 films that target youth has increased from the level of G and PG files in 1985 when the rating was introduced, to the level of R films by 2005, to exceed the level of R films since 2012, a trend that has continued.
Research in the investigator's lab has shown that children are more likely to use guns (e.g., handle them, pull the trigger) after exposure to movie characters who use guns. The investigators replicated this study using video games, and also found that children who had taken a gun safety course were less likely to engage in dangerous behavior around firearms. However, it is difficult to draw causal inferences about the gun safety course because children were not randomly assigned to take or not take a gun safety course.
The present research will aim to reduce dangerous behavior around firearms by first exposing participants to a gun safety video recorded by The Ohio State University Chief of Police. The control video is about car safety. Children will see the videos about a week before they come into the lab.
In the lab, children will be tested in pairs. They will first watch a film clip from one of two different PG rated films, either in its original form (with guns) or with the guns edited out. After exposure to the film, participants will be placed in a room with toys, including two real unloaded guns that have been modified for safety and include a trigger pull counter.
The study uses 2 (gun safety video vs. car safety video) X 2 (movie with guns vs. movie without guns) between-subjects factorial design.
The investigators predict that children will be less likely to engage in dangerous behavior around real firearms after viewing the gun safety video than those who viewed the car safety video, even if they see a movie with guns in the lab.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 4
- Model description
- Participants are randomly assigned to watch a safety video about guns or a safety video about seatbelts. Participants are then randomly assigned to watch a movie containing guns, or a movie not containing guns. Outlier data will be excluded in analysis.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Gun safety vid x Movie clip - guns present | Experimental | Behavioral: Gun handling behavior, Other: DebriefingParticipants in this condition will view a gun safety video featuring The Ohio State University Chief of Police about a week before coming into the lab. In the lab, they will watch a ~20 minute clip of either The Rocketeer or National Treasure featuring guns. |
| Gun safety vid x Movie clip - guns absent | Active comparator | Behavioral: Gun handling behavior, Other: DebriefingParticipants in this condition will view a gun safety video featuring The Ohio State University Chief of Police about a week before coming into the lab. In the lab, they will watch a ~20 minute clip of either The Rocketeer or National Treasure with the guns edited out. |
| Seatbelt safety video x Movie clip - guns present | Active comparator | Behavioral: Gun handling behavior, Other: DebriefingParticipants in this condition will view a seatbelt safety video about a week before coming into the lab. In the lab, they will watch a ~20 minute clip of either The Rocketeer or National Treasure featuring guns. |
| Seatbelt safety video x Movie clip - guns absent | Active comparator | Behavioral: Gun handling behavior, Other: DebriefingParticipants in this condition will view a seatbelt safety video about a week before coming into the lab. In the lab, they will watch a ~20 minute clip of either The Rocketeer or National Treasure featuring guns. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 8 to 12 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Age 8-12 yrs
- No prior participation in the study
- Able to schedule participation with a known peer (8-12yo).
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Younger than 8 yrs old
- Older than 12 yrs old
- Prior study participation
- Could not schedule participation with a known peer (8-12yo)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Gun handling behaviorChildren will play in an observed room for 20 minutes. Aside from a selection of toys, two real handguns will be placed in a drawer. The handguns have been modified so they cannot fire. Inside the magazine, the handgun contains no bullets. Instead, it contains a sensor that counts the number of times the trigger is pulled with sufficient force to discharge the gun. This allows us to distinguish reliably the children who pull the trigger from those who handle the gun but do not pull the trigger | Behavioural | Gun safety vid x Movie clip - guns absent, Gun safety vid x Movie clip - guns present, Seatbelt safety video x Movie clip - guns absent, Seatbelt safety video x Movie clip - guns present |
| DebriefingChildren and their parents will be debriefed on the actual purpose of the study, including the role of the safety video and how the movie clips were edited. | Other | Gun safety vid x Movie clip - guns absent, Gun safety vid x Movie clip - guns present, Seatbelt safety video x Movie clip - guns absent, Seatbelt safety video x Movie clip - guns present |
Primary outcome
Behavioral: Gun Location
Time frame: 20 minutes play session
Trained research assistants, blind to video game condition and experimental hypotheses, will independently code the play session videos. Coders will identify whether the participants found the handguns, how long the participants held the handgun, and whether or not they pulled the trigger.
Behavioral: Gun Location Response - Told Adult
Time frame: 20 minutes play session
If the participants found the handguns, the coders will identify whether the participants told an adult.
Behavioral: Gun Location Response - Touched Gun
Time frame: 20 minute play session
If the participants found the handguns, the coders will identify whether the participants touched the handgun.
Behavioral: Gun Holding Time
Time frame: 20 minutes play session
If participants handle the gun, coders will record how long the gun was held.
Behavioral: Trigger Pulled
Time frame: 20 minute play session
When the gun was handled, this measures whether or not the participant(s) pulled the trigger.
Number of Trigger Pulls
Time frame: 20 minutes play session
The two guns hidden in the playroom contain sensors that count how often the trigger is pulled with sufficient force to discharge the gun. A counter on the weapon displays the number of pulls, which will be entered into a data file along with the observational data described below. Observational data will also be used to confirm trigger pull counts. Note: This measure includes all 216 participants who found the handguns.
Gun Pointing With Trigger Pull
Time frame: 20 minute play session
Trained research assistants, blind to video game condition and experimental hypotheses, will independently code the play session videos. If participants pulled the trigger, were they pointing the gun at themselves or their partners? Calculations done using all participants who found a firearm.
1 secondary outcome
Attitudes Toward Guns
Time frame: After 20 minutes play session, 5 minute questionnaire
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 20 Nov 2024.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 37459089Kjaervik SL, Bushman BJ. Effect of a Gun Safety Video on Children's Behavior Around Real Guns: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Pediatr. 2023 Sep 1;177(9):903-910. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.2397.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Deidentified data will be shared upon request
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Brad J Bushman, PhD principal investigator
Ohio State University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Gun handling behavior and Debriefing in people with Psychology, Social and Adolescent Behavior, run by Ohio State University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Nov 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 20 Nov 2024). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Behavioral: Gun Location (time frame: 20 minutes play session). The study lists 7 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05257837, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Nov 2024.