Work

Risk and Protective Factors for Firearm Assault Injuries Among Black Men: A Scoping Review of Research

Year: 2023

Type: review

Abstract: Black men are disproportionately affected by firearm assaults in the United States, and these disparities are rooted in structural and social inequities. The objective of this scoping review of research was to identify risk and protective factors for firearm assault injuries among Black men at all levels of the social-ecological framework. The search was conducted in 2021. The initial search generated 1,122 articles. Studies were eligible if they (a) included an analysis of modifiable risk or protective factors for firearm assaults among Black men; (b) reported an estimate of correlation, association, or effect between risk or protective factors and firearm assault injuries, firearm violence, and/or firearm homicides; and (c) were published peer-reviewed articles. In all, 19 articles were identified for review. Risk factors identified at each ecological level include the following: (1) Individual: firearm possession/weapon use and criminal legal system interaction; (2) Relationships: gang membership and exposure to other people who have experienced a firearm assault; (3) Community: indicators for socioeconomic status and racial residential segregation; and (4) Societal: historical racist policy. Individual-level substance use had mixed results. Few (26%) studies examined protective factors at any ecological level, but community-level factors like neighborhood tree cover were identified. Future research needs to examine risk and protective factors at the societal level and multiple ecological levels simultaneously leading to more effective multi-level interventions that will guide policy formation. A greater diversity of study designs, research methods, and theoretical frameworks is needed to better understand factors associated with firearm assault among Black men.

Source: Trauma Violence & Abuse

DOI: 10.1177/15248380231217042

Authors: Lea A. Marineau, Mudia Uzzi, Shani A. Buggs, Ngozi Ihenacho, Jacquelyn C. Campbell

Institutions: Johns Hopkins University, University of California, Davis, Hager Sharp (United States)

Language: English

Topic: Gun Ownership and Violence Research

Subfield: Health

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development