Follow-up Gun Study: Can Safety Videos Mitigate Interest in Guns in Children?

Not Applicable

Completed

Conditions: Psychology, Social
Adolescent Behavior

Interventions: Behavioral: Gun handling behavior
Other: Debriefing

Registration Number: NCT05257837

Lead Sponsor: Ohio State University

Brief 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). 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.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 245

Inclusion Criteria

Age 8-12 yrs
No prior participation in the study
Able to schedule participation with a known peer (8-12yo).

Exclusion Criteria

Younger than 8 yrs old
Older than 12 yrs old
Prior study participation
Could not schedule participation with a known peer (8-12yo)

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Seatbelt safety video x Movie clip - guns absent	Gun handling behavior	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.
Gun safety vid x Movie clip - guns present	Gun handling behavior	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.
Gun safety vid x Movie clip - guns present	Debriefing	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.
Seatbelt safety video x Movie clip - guns present	Gun handling behavior	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.
Seatbelt safety video x Movie clip - guns present	Debriefing	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.
Gun safety vid x Movie clip - guns absent	Gun handling behavior	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.
Gun safety vid x Movie clip - guns absent	Debriefing	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.
Seatbelt safety video x Movie clip - guns absent	Debriefing	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.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Behavioral: Gun Location	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	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	20 minute play session	If the participants found the handguns, the coders will identify whether the participants touched the handgun.
Behavioral: Gun Holding Time	20 minutes play session	If participants handle the gun, coders will record how long the gun was held.
Behavioral: Trigger Pulled	20 minute play session	When the gun was handled, this measures whether or not the participant(s) pulled the trigger.
Number of Trigger Pulls	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	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.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Attitudes Toward Guns	After 20 minutes play session, 5 minute questionnaire	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