P3.K214: Gun Violence Exposures Impact on Urban Youth School Performance

Background: Exposure to firearms has been shown to negatively impact youth’s mental and behavioral health. This study’s primary objective is to analyze the intersection of gun violence exposure (GVE) and school achievement (SA). The secondary objective is to investigate a difference in school achievement based on location of GVE in the community (at home, school, or both).

Methods: We utilized the Future of Families and Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), a longitudinal birth cohort study surveying urban youth and guardians specifically at age 15 utilizing surveys of parents and teens. SA was measured by 4 metrics: parent report of attending summer school and repeating a grade; and student report of honor roll and failing a grade. GVE data was obtained from the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a national database that collects information on firearm injury and mortality data based on geographic locations. GVA data was cross-referenced with survey data from FFCWS. GVE was categorized by presence of exposure within 1600 meters of home, school, or both. Two sample t-test and chi-squared tests adapted to complex survey samples were used for p-value calculations. P< 0.05 indicated statistical significance.

Results: Our sample comprised of 2563 students. Students who attended summer school had more cumulative total GVE (5.72 vs. 3.66, p< 0.05) and school GVE (2.57 vs. 1.54, p< 0.05) than those who didn’t. Those who repeated a grade had twice as much GVE in both locations compared to those who did not repeat a grade (total 7.89 vs. 3.76, p< 0.05; home 4.09 vs. 2.18, p< 0.05; school 3.80 vs. 1.57, p< 0.05). Similarly, students who failed a class had more GVE in both locations compared to those who did not (total 4.99 vs. 3.45, p< 0.05; home 2.85 vs. 1.97, p< 0.05; school 2.13 vs. 1.48, p< 0.05). Those not on honor roll had more home GVE (2.77 vs. 1.87, p< 0.05) and total GVE (4.66 vs. 3.45, p< 0.05) than those on honor roll [Figure 1]. Additionally, those on honor roll had a statistically significant higher proportion of no GVE (51% vs. 49%), less home (38% vs. 62%) and less combined home/school GVE (47% vs. 53%) [Table 1].

Conclusion: Our research reveals that an increase in cumulative exposure to gun violence is associated with attending summer school, repeating a grade, not achieving honor roll, or failing a class. This demonstrates that cumulative GVE can impact school achievement. The level of achievement in high school may carry significant ramifications that extend into one’s future career trajectory. Since academic accomplishments attained during this formative period could shape an individual's career opportunities in the years to come, further research is crucial to comprehend the full impact of GVE on youth wellbeing.