ShootSafe: An interactive web platform to teach children hunting, shooting and firearms safety

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ShootSafe: An Interactive Website to Teach Children Firearms Safety Firearms injuries present a major pediatric public health challenge to our country, killing over 800 children ages 0-15 annually and leading to lifelong disability among over 1000 survivors. About ⅓ of firearms injuries to children under age 15 are due to unintentional causes rather than suicide or homicide. We propose development and evaluation of ShootSafe, an innovative, engaging, and educational website accessible by smartphone, tablet or computer that engages children to learn firearms safety. ShootSafe extends a smattering of existing basic programs to achieve three primary educational goals: (a) teach children the knowledge and skills they need to hunt, shoot, and use firearms safely; (b) help children learn and hone the critical cognitive skills of impulse control and hypothetical thinking needed to use firearms safely; and (c) alter children's perceptions about their own vulnerability and susceptibility to firearms-related injuries, the severity of those injuries, and their perceived norms about peer behavior surrounding firearms use. ShootSafe will accomplish these goals through a combination of interactive games and activities plus powerful podcast videos delivered by peer actors (impactful testimonials about firearms injuries and deaths they experienced) and experts (wisdom and experience from trusted role models). The website will deliver messages through the internet, a technological medium today's children prefer learning in. It also will incorporate brief messaging to parents, who will absorb key lessons and reinforce them with their children. The project has two specific aims: (a) develop an innovative and engaging website to train children in firearms safety and (b) evaluate the website through a randomized controlled trial with 162 children ages 10- 12, randomly assigning the children to engage in the ShootSafe website or an active control website on child nutrition. The second aim will incorporate sub-aims to evaluate changes in children's (a) knowledge, (b) cognitive skills in impulse control and hypothetical thinking, (c) perceptions about firearms safety, and (d) simulated behavior when handling, storing and transporting firearms. All outcome measures will be assessed through multiple methods and measures at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at a 4-month follow-up assessment to evaluate retention. Training will comprise two 30-minute sessions. In summary, we propose a program that addresses a critical pediatric public health problem through an electronic platform that appeals to today's children and innovative programming to deliver basic knowledge about firearms safety, hone relevant cognitive skills, and alter perceptions about safety. If the study hypotheses prove true, translation into practice through broad dissemination is highly feasible. Note that this project falls under Objective Two in the RFA (to rigorously evaluate effectiveness of an innovative and promising strategy to keep individuals safe from firearm-related injuries and death). It also falls under Funding Option B, as it will support new data collection activities.