Researchers from Children’s Wisconsin and the Medical College of Wisconsin found an association between motor vehicle crash injuries and firearm injuries among children and adolescents.
The findings could help inform violence prevention efforts, said Dr. Mike Levas, one of the authors of the study and a professor of pediatric emergency medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Children’s Wisconsin.
“I think that car crashes, especially in our teens and young kids, can be a marker for that increased escalation and risky behaviors or risky situations,” said Levas, who is also medical director of Project Ujima.
Project Ujima is a violence intervention program at Children’s Wisconsin. The program works to end the cycle of violence by providing crisis intervention and other support to youths and adults who are victims of violence.
Findings of the study
Nearly one in four patients treated for a firearm injury had multiple emergency department visits for firearm, non-firearm violence or motor vehicle crash injuries during a four-year period, according to the study.
The study examined 2,614 emergency department visits for violent injuries or motor vehicle crashes involving children and adolescents ages 0 to 17 from 2018 to 2022.
Researchers found a significant association between prior motor vehicle crash injuries and later firearm injuries.
In other words, motor vehicle crash injuries can serve as a marker for increased risk of a firearm injury later on.
Interpretation of findings
Traumatic events often do not occur in isolation, said Dr. Deanna Behrens, a pediatric critical care physician and American Academy of Pediatrics spokesperson.
“We know that there are clusters of activity, like risk-taking behavior, exposure to violence and traumatic injuries, that can happen in adolescence and early adulthood,” she said.
In addition to social and environmental factors, Levas said adolescents are still developing the parts of the brain responsible for decision-making.
“Most people, as they grow, don’t make great choices all the time,” Levas said.
These developmental realities place some responsibility on society to help young people avoid risk, he said.
“If we don’t have guardrails for them, then I think from a public health standpoint, then we’re not helping the situation, we’re not helping to prevent injury,” he said.
What can Milwaukee do?
Levas said Children’s Wisconsin is considering whether the findings could help identify opportunities to intervene earlier.
One possibility is expanding Project Ujima.
Currently, the program serves youths who have been shot, stabbed or physically assaulted and provides case management, mental health services, mentorship and family support.
“One of the things that we’re looking at is, do we expand our inclusion criteria to include victims of motor vehicle crash so that we can prevent the firearm injury from happening altogether,” Levas said.
Important to note is that the program doesn’t just serve the direct victim of violence.
“We wrap our arms around the entire family, so not just the immediate victim, but we also support the entire household,” said Brooke Cheaton, manager of Project Ujima. “Those conversations are centered very much around concerns, whether it be for safety, for physical health, for mental well-being, emotional well-being, social supports.”
These types of support are necessary because violence can profoundly change the lives of victims, families and communities, Cheaton said.
“We are always talking about prevention, and early intervention is key to reducing injury and mortality,” said Maria Beyer, one of the authors of the study and a community health evaluation manager at Children’s Wisconsin.
Collecting information early through interventions, she said, can help them learn of those shared risk factors that might be leading to both reckless driving and also gun violence.
She said that mentoring and youth development programs are among the resources that could help communities intervene earlier.
What can parents do?
As Children’s Wisconsin explores ways to use the study findings to prevent future injuries, Levas said parents and caregivers can take steps of their own.
On a basic level, he said, parents can start by opening lines of communication with their children and helping them connect with trusted adults.
“Seeking mentorship for your child across multiple sectors is very helpful,” he said. “The more that the youth can get engaged with adults that are guiding them to make better choices, or learn how to stay out of risky situations, the better.”
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
