Firearm Injury Prevention Skills: Increasing the Efficiency of Training with Peer Tutoring

• Published in: Child & family behavior therapy Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 21 - 35
• Main Authors: Jostad, Candice M., Miltenberger, Raymond G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Binghamton, NY Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.2004; The Haworth Press Inc; Haworth Press; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Accident Prevention; Behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Child Safety; Childhood; Children; Children & youth; Firearm accidents & safety; firearm injury prevention; group peer tutoring; Injuries; Medical sciences; Peer Teaching; Program Design; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Safety Education; Training; Treatments; Tutoring; United States; Weapons; United States; USA; Human; Prevention; Treatment; Injury; Fire arm; Behavior therapy; Child; Peer tutoring teaching
• ISSN: 0731-7107; 1545-228X
• DOI: 10.1300/J019v26n03_02

Gun play results in hundreds of childhood injuries and deaths each year in the United States. Behavioral Skills Training (BST) is used to teach children the skills needed to resist gun play when finding a firearm. Although effective, existing BST programs are time and resource intensive and therefore lack the efficiency required to be widely utilized. Consequently, modifications of program design are needed to increase the likelihood that many children will receive training. Training children in groups and using peers as tutors may decrease the time and resources needed to teach these safety skills to youngsters, thus increasing the efficiency and adoptability of BST programs.