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Addressing emotional distress, drug use may prevent weapon-related behavior

Risk and protective factors for carrying or using a weapon differ by race, and specific interventions to prevent such behavior among black, Latino and white adolescents may benefit from addressing emotional distress and substance abuse, according to a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics.

“Weapon-related violence among adolescents leads to physical and mental health problems, and results in substantial costs because of injuries and loss of productivity,” Rashmi Shetgiri, MD, of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-University of California, and colleagues wrote. “Almost 13% of high school students have been victimized with weapons.”

To identify risk and protective factors for weapon involvement among black, Latino and white adolescents, the researchers analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, which includes surveys of a nationally representative sample of students in grades 7 to 12. Wave one, conducted in 1994 and 1995, included 20,745 surveys with students and 17,670 surveys with their parents. Wave two, conducted in 1996, included 14,738 surveys with students from wave one. The surveys were carried out through face-to-face interviews with participants in their homes.

The researchers created a dichotomous measure of weapon involvement in the past year before the participant was surveyed, based on whether they self-reported specific behaviors, including carrying a weapon, pulling a knife or gun on someone, and shooting or stabbing someone. Bivariate and multilevel logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations of individual, peer, family and community characteristics with weapon involvement. Stratified analyses were conducted among black, Latino and white subsamples.

According to the researchers, weapon involvement differed significantly by racial and ethnic group, with 7% of whites, 13.5% of blacks and 10.4% of Latinos reporting such behavior. Of those who carried weapons, 17% had also shot or stabbed someone within 12 months of the survey. Emotional distress and substance abuse were risk factors for all groups, and violence exposure and peer delinquency were risk factors for whites and blacks. Gun availability in the home was associated with weapon involvement for blacks only. High educational aspirations were protective for blacks and Latinos, while higher family connectedness was protective for Latinos only.

“Findings from our study suggest that interventions to prevent weapon-related behaviors among white, [black] and Latino adolescents should address emotional distress and substance abuse,” Shetgiri and colleagues wrote. “It is important to also mitigate the effects of violence exposure, promote educational aspirations, minimize the influence of delinquent peer groups and focus on family connectedness to appropriately tailor programs for different racial/ethnic groups.” – by Jason Laday

Disclosure: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.