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Where's Daryl?: Results of a gun violence prevention-education program in Los Angeles Unified School District
Gun violence greatly impacts youth in Los Angeles County (LAC). From 2000-2009, the leading cause of death among youth in LAC was firearm homicide. To address this issue, the Where’s Daryl program was developed by Designmatters at Art Center College of Design, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and Sentient Research and vetted by experts in violence prevention-education. The Where’s Daryl gun violence prevention-education program was designed to create and reinforce negative attitudes and norms around guns for middle school youth. The program asks youth to reconsider assumptions about guns and to discuss situations in which firearms could negatively impact their life.
Methods:
Over 700 students in four middle schools in LAC participated in the program and completed an anonymous unmatched baseline and follow-up survey to measure changes in attitudes and knowledge about guns and gun violence.
Results/Outcomes:
The sample size was 725 students for the baseline survey and 712 students for the follow-up. After participating in the program, students showed a statistically significant increase in both knowledge and negative attitudes towards guns and gun violence, including negative attitudes related to guns making people safer or more powerful, and a reduced desire to have a gun.
Conclusions:
The Where’s Daryl? program was shown to be effective in improving middle school students’ knowledge and negative attitudes about guns and gun violence. Our ultimate goal is to expand this program as an evidence-based gun violence prevention intervention that can be disseminated across California and the US for wide-scale impact.
Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programsImplementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Describe the impact of gun violence on youth in Los Angeles County.
Identify the impact of the Where’s Daryl? program on youth knowledge and attitudes towards guns and gun violence.
Identify effective elements of the Where’s Daryl? gun violence prevention-education program for middle school youth.
Keyword(s): Violence & Injury Prevention, Youth Violence
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have run the Health Education Unit at Los Angeles Unified School District and oversaw the design, management, implementation and evaluation of this program.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.