Science of Firearm Injury Prevention Among Children & Teens Online Course
This course lays a broad foundation for understanding the science of pediatric firearm injury prevention and the latest research and evidence-based solutions.
About this course
Firearm injuries are a leading cause of death among children and teens. However, there are many ways that these injuries and deaths can be prevented using evidence-based practices and policies. Presented by the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention and the Firearm Safety among Children and Teens (FACTS) Consortium, the Science of Firearm Safety Among Children & Teens Massive Open Online Course covers a range of firearm injury topics including:
- firearm-related suicide
- unintentional firearm injury
- community and youth violence
- intimate partner violence
- school and mass shootings
- officer-involved shootings
The course also covers important gaps in existing research and future directions for expanding the knowledge base of the field. This course is designed for multiple fields and levels of training, including students and researchers from public health, medicine, public policy, social work, nursing, criminology, sociology and psychology fields. It is appropriate for practitioners, educators and parents. As a learner, you will have the ability to select all modules or individual topics that interest you most. Composed of seven modules, this course may be taken from the comfort of your home or office, and you can learn at your own pace.
Note: as part of designation for CME credit, disclosures of faculty’s relevant financial relationships can be viewed here.
Through lectures and interviews from over 35 of the leading firearm injury researchers around the country, and activities, readings, discussion boards, and quizzes, learners can become familiar with the epidemiology, prevention strategies, and policy efforts related to pediatric firearm injury prevention.
Meet the Contributors
Elizabeth Alpern
Northwestern University
Rinad Beidas
Northwestern University
Tia Bell
The TRIGGER Project
Charlie Branas
Columbia University
Shani Buggs
University of California, Davis
Patrick Carter
University of Michigan
Stephanie Cook
New York University
Rebecca Cunningham
University of Michigan
Peter Ehrlich
University of Michigan
Cynthia Ewell-Foster
University of Michigan
Joel Fein
University of Pennsylvania
Monika Goyal
George Washington University
Jason Goldstick
University of Michigan
Stephen Hargarten
Medical College of Wisconsin
Justin Heinze
University of Michigan
Hsing-Fang Hsieh
University of Michigan
Jonathan Jay
Boston University
Cheryl King
University of Michigan
Nicole Kravitz-Wirtz
University of California, Davis
Vivian Lyons
University of Washington
Matthew Miller
Northeastern University, Harvard University
Karissa Pelletier
University of Michigan
Jesenia Pizarro
Arizona State University
Sonali Rajan
Columbia University
Megan Ranney
Brown University
Leigh Rauk
University of Michigan
Therese Richmond
University of Pennsylvania
Fred Rivara
University of Washington
Ali Rowhani-Rahbar
University of Washington
Laura Seewald
University of Michigan
Eric Sigel
University of Colorado
Rebeccah Sokol
University of Michigan
Maureen Walton
University of Michigan
Daniel Webster
John Hopkins University
Doug Wiebe
University of Michigan
April Zeoli
University of Michigan
Learning Objectives
- Understand how epidemiological trends and disparities in pediatric firearm injuries and deaths can guide interventions
- Utilize various research methods and theories to create and evaluate firearm injury prevention programs
- Recognize existing and promising policies that protect children and teens against firearm injury and death
- Determine what the gaps in the firearm injury prevention literature are and identify opportunities to fill those gaps with multidisciplinary and community-engaged research and practice
Objectives by Module
Click each module to read the learning objectives
Module 1 - Overview of Child and Adolescent Firearm Injury
- Describe public health frameworks and the injury prevention model for preventing child and adolescent firearm injury
- Interpret firearm injury data to better understand how to implement firearm injury prevention research frameworks
- Determine the most and least prevalent causes of firearm injury and death
- Discuss epidemiological trends in prevalent causes of firearm injury among children and teens 0-17
- Identify populations vulnerable to the different causes of firearm injury, highlighting the disparities and societal responses
- Evaluate key studies and the methodologies appropriate for studying different outcomes
- Identify ways that researchers, practitioners and stakeholders can advance the prevention of child and adolescent firearm injury
Module 2 - Firearm-Related Suicide
- Describe population epidemiology of firearm-related suicide
- Identify the populations at most risk of firearm-related suicide, highlighting various disparities
- Classify risk and protective factors for suicide across ecological levels
- Determine the possible scope of prevention strategies
- Discuss the extant research on the prevention effectiveness of strategies.
- Evaluate which firearm laws and policies affect firearm suicide, noting the research designs used the estimate the effectiveness of such policies
- Explore key studies, unanswered questions and data sources
Module 3 - Unintentional Injury
- Describe population epidemiology of firearm-related unintentional injury
- Identify the populations at most risk, and discuss disparities
- Classify risk and protective factors for unintentional injury across ecological levels
- Determine the possible scope of prevention strategies, and review the extant research on the prevention effectiveness of strategies.
- Evaluate which firearm laws and policies affect firearm unintentional injury and understand research designs used the estimate the effectiveness of such policies
- Explore key studies, unanswered questions and data sources
Module 4 - Community Violence
- Describe population epidemiology of firearm-related community violence
- Identify the populations at most risk, and discuss disparities
- Classify risk and protective factors for unintentional injury across ecological levels
- Determine the possible scope of prevention strategies, and review the extant research on the prevention effectiveness of strategies.
- Evaluate which firearm laws and policies affect firearm community violence and understand research designs used the estimate the effectiveness of such policies
- Explore key studies, unanswered questions and data sources
Module 5 - Intimate Partner/Dating/Family Violence
- Describe population epidemiology of intimate partner violence/dating violence and family violence
- Identify the populations at most risk, and discuss disparities
- Classify risk and protective factors for intimate partner violence/dating violence and family violence across ecological levels
- Determine the possible scope of prevention strategies, and review the extant research on the prevention effectiveness of strategies.
- Evaluate which firearm laws and policies affect firearm-related intimate partner violence/dating violence and family violence and understand research designs used the estimate the effectiveness of such policies
- Explore key studies, unanswered questions and data sources
Module 6 - School and Mass Shootings
- Describe population epidemiology of school/mass shootings
- Identify the settings where mass shootings occur and the populations affected
- Classify risk and protective factors for mass shootings/school shootings across ecological levels, and highlight potential modifiable points for intervention
- Evaluate the impact that ‘mass shootings’ and their responses have for policymakers
- Evaluate the specific strategies K-12 schools are currently implementing as they respond to the anticipation of school/mass shootings.
- Discuss the implications of safety strategies for a school’s climate, child health, and learning outcomes.
Module 7 - Officer-Involved Shootings
- Describe population epidemiology of Officer Involved Shootings
- Identify the populations at most risk, and discuss disparities
- Describe risk and protective factors for Officer Involved Shootings across ecological levels
- Determine the possible scope of prevention strategies, and review the extant research on the prevention effectiveness of strategies.
- Evaluate which firearm laws and policies affect Officer Involved Shootings and understand research designs used the estimate the effectiveness of such policies
- Explore key studies, unanswered questions and data sources
Continuing Education
Click each title to read the details for Continuing Education
Continuing Medical Education (CME) & Maintenance of Certification (MOC)
(1) Expected Results: After completing this activity, participants will be able to better navigate patient interactions involving firearm use, storage, and injury prevention, across the different types of firearm injury (i.e. suicide, unintentional injury, community violence, etc.)
(2) Objectives:
- Describe population epidemiology of different intents of firearm injury (i.e. unintentional, suicide, interpersonal).
- Identify populations at most risk of different intents of firearm injury (i.e. unintentional, suicide, interpersonal), including various disparities.
- Classify risk and protective factors for different intents of firearm injury.
- Determine the possible scope and effectiveness of prevention strategies and interventions involving firearm injury.
- Evaluate which firearm laws and policies affect firearm injury intents, noting the research designs used to estimate the effectiveness of such policies
- Explore key studies, unanswered questions, and data sources.
(3) Target Audience: The primary audience includes researchers, students, trainees, and practitioners from diverse backgrounds and disciplines who work in the field of firearm injury or related field, and who may work with those impacted by firearm injuries. These disciplines include medicine, social work, psychology, epidemiology, law, business, the arts, public health, political science, and engineering.
(4) ACCME Statement for Jointly Provided Activities: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the University of Michigan Medical School and the UM Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. The University of Michigan Medical School is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The University of Michigan Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 40 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Release Date May 2023; Termination Date March 2026
(5) Maintenance of Certification (MOC):
ABIM MOC II: Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 40 MOC points and 40 points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.
ABP MOC Part II: Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn up to 40 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABP MOC credit.
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES)
Michigan Social Work
This course is approved by the NASW-Michigan Social Work Continuing Education Collaborative Approval #110222-03. With each module learners complete, they will have the opportunity to fill out a form to receive their certificate.
Michigan Continuing Nursing Education
This course has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the University of Michigan Medical School and the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. The University of Michigan Medical School is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for health professionals.
Since the course is accredited through ACCME, nurses in Michigan can use CME for their nursing contact hours for licensure. Please refer to the Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) website for more information about Michigan nursing continuing education requirements and how to receive up to 40 hours of CEs for this online course. Please utilize the link listed at the end of each module’s evaluation to redeem CE credits.