Association between Victims of Bullying and Weapon Carrying Among High School Students in the United States

Abstract

were determined; Bivariate analysiswas used to determinewhether any demographic factors were associated with either youth selfreport or provider documentation. Results: 49/784 (70%) of eligible youth consented, and 85% (n 1⁄4 466) attended the appointment. Mean age was 14.5 (sd 1.6); 65% female, 45 % Hispanic, 38% Black, 17% White. 300/466 (64%) completed the health screening questionnaire. Of those 300 youth who completed the questionnaire, 8.3 % reported having a gun at home, 83.3% reported not having a gun in the home, and 8.3% did not answer the question about firearms. Evaluating provider documentation of firearms in the home, 81% of the time there was no documentation; 17% of the time providers documented that there were not any firearms present, and 1.7% of the time providers documented that therewas a firearm in the home.When therewas actual documentation, 9% of the time providers reported the presence of a firearm. For youth who reported having guns in the home (n 1⁄4 24), 50% of the time providers did not document at all about firearms; 16% of the time there was documentation that there were not firearms when youth reported there were firearms present, and 33% of the time providers documented the presence of firearms. No demographic characteristics, including age, race/ ethnicity, gender or SES were associated with whether youth reported a firearm, or whether a provider documented whether a firearm was present in the home. Conclusions: The vast majority of the time health care providers are not documenting whether there are firearms in the home during routine health care visits. HCPS missed documenting about firearm presence in 67% of youth who report access. However when they did document, they correctly documented 67% of the time. There are significant missed opportunities to counsel families on firearm safety if the topic of firearms is not being addressed during routine health care appointments. Sources of Support: Colorado Injury Control Research Center, Childrens Hospital Colorado Research Institute.