321 - Baseline Characteristics of Youth Seeking Emergency Department Treatment for an Assault Injury

Saturday, April 29, 2023

3:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET

Poster Number: 321
Publication Number: 321.208

Heather Hartman, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Laura Seewald, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Philip Stallworth, Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; rebecca Cunningham, University of michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Jason Goldstick, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Ken Resnicow, Univerdity of muchigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Maureen Walton, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; John Piette, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Shihchen Kuo, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; M. Kit Delgado, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Claire Pearson, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States; Patrick Carter, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

Presenting Author(s)

Heather Hartman, MD (she/her/hers)

Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention; Clinical Instructor, Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery
University of Michigan Medical School
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Background: Youth seeking treatment in an emergency department (ED) for assault injuries are at increased risk for violent reinjury.

Objective:

To develop effective hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) that decrease future violence risk, it is important to understand these individuals’ assault characteristics and co-morbid risk factors.

Design/Methods: We present baseline data from 75 youth (14-24yo) enrolled in an ongoing multi-site randomized trial evaluating the efficacy of two versions of a HVIP for assault-injured youth. Upon enrollment, youth seeking ED treatment for assault injuries completed a baseline survey of validated measures assessing their socio-demographics, mental health, substance use, and the characteristics of the assault prompting the ED encounter.

Results: Respondents had a mean age of 20 years old, 43% were male, 83% were Black, and 63% received public assistance. The majority of participants (76%) reported that the assault involved a peer or someone other than an intimate partner (24% partner). Most assault incidents (81%) involved severe violence behaviors (e.g., firearm threat/discharge; knife/stab wound), with 72% of youth experiencing severe victimization and 39% perpetrating severe aggression behaviors during the incident. Assaults occurred at someone else’s home/property (31%), their home (29%), or at/near a school (11%). Thirty-two percent of participants reported using marijuana and 13% reported drinking alcohol in the three hours before the assault. Key fight motivations included establishing power/respect (32%) and retaliation (17%), with 28% of youth noting that they or their friends intended to retaliate for the incident. Participants reported high rates of known violent injury risk factors, including marijuana misuse (68%), alcohol misuse (24%), mental health issues (40% depression, 33% anxiety, 15% PTSD), firearm carriage (21%), prior 6-month violence involvement (55% firearm victimization, 11% firearm aggression, 48% prior ED visit for violent injury), and past arrest (40%).

Conclusion(s): Baseline data from this ongoing ED study demonstrate characteristics of the assaults leading to violent injury and rates of risky behaviors among assault injured youth. ED visits for assault injuries have been identified as teachable moments where interventions may be more effective in reducing future violence risk. Interventions through HVIPS should address key assault-injury factors (e.g., violence motivations) and co-occurring risk factors (e.g. substance use, mental health), as well as provide connections to community resources in order to decrease violent reinjury.