Newtown, CT — Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) has been awarded a $700,000 grant over three years by the National Collaborative for Gun Violence Research to evaluate the effectiveness of Start With Hello and Say Something violence prevention programs in Los Angeles Unified School District, the third largest public school district in the nation.
SHP’s study, in partnership with the University of Michigan, is among $9.8 million in grants announced by the collaborative for 17 research projects that will produce evidence for improving gun policy in America. Collectively, the grants are among the largest funding awards for gun policy research since the federal government abandoned significant funding in this area more than two decades ago.
This study was selected from among 47 full proposals invited by the collaborative after receiving 248 letters of interest responding to its proposal request. The study will measure the programs’ ability to teach youth to recognize and report potential violence and mental health threats while improving school climate to become more socially inclusive and promote positive youth behaviors, reducing risks for firearm-related violence and firearm related behaviors. The study will track outcomes longitudinally over a three-year period (2019-2022) via a two-group cluster randomized control trial that will involve students from 48 middle schools across the district.
“America needs evidence-based answers on the causes of gun violence and how to prevent it,” said Andrew Morral, director of the collaborative. “These research projects, selected first and foremost for their rigor, will generate evidence for informing policy that protects the public and preserves the rights of responsible gun owners.”
Despite more than 38,000 deaths and 115,000 firearm-related injuries a year in the United States, the federal government invests only a fraction as much in gun violence research as it does in other causes of death that kill similar numbers of people.
The National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research supports carefully selected, rigorous research designed to broaden agreement on the facts associated with gun policy, and support development of fair and effective policies. The collaborative is administered by the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation and began operation with $20 million in funding from the Texas-based Arnold Ventures. The collaborative seeks charitable contributions to support its ongoing work.
For more information, go to www.ncgvr.org.
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Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to end school shootings and create a culture change that prevents violence and other harmful acts that hurt children. Through its life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP educates and empowers youth and adults to recognize, intervene, and get help for individuals who may be socially isolated and/or at risk of hurting themselves or others. Through nonpartisan policy and partnerships, SHP advances gun safety, youth mental health, and violence prevention education at the state and federal levels that protect all children from gun violence in their schools, homes, and communities. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. Learn more at www.sandyhookpromise.org