Peer tutoring to prevent firearm play acquisition, generalization, and long-term maintenance of safety skills

Abstract

Hundreds of accidental injuries and deaths to children occur annually in the United States as a result of firearm play. Behavioral skills training (BST) and in situ training have been found to be effective in teaching children the skills to use if they find a firearm, but training requires substantial time and effort. The current study examined the use of peers as tutors as a potential way to decrease the time and resources needed to teach these safety skills to youngsters. Peer trainers conducted BST and in situ training with other children. Children taught by the peer trainers acquired the safety skills and demonstrated them in naturalistic situations in which the skills were needed. Furthermore, all of the peer trainers acquired and maintained the skills. These results support the use of peer tutoring for teaching safety skills to other children.

Figure 1

Trainer scores during baseline, behavioral skills training (BST), and following student training (0  =  touched the firearm; 1  =  did not touch the firearm; 2  =  did not touch, left the area within 10 s; 3  =  did not touch, left the area, told an adult). Squares indicate assessments at the day-care site, and triangles reflect home assessments. Upward arrows indicate in situ training conducted by the researcher.

Figure 2

Student scores during baseline, behavioral skills training (BST), in situ training, and follow-up (0  =  touched the firearm; 1  =  did not touch the firearm; 2  =  did not touch, left the area within 10 s; 3  =  did not touch, left the area, told an adult). Squares indicate assessments at the day-care site, triangles reflect home assessments, and circle indicates a location at the day-care site not associated with training or assessment. Downward arrows indicate booster sessions conducted by the peer trainers. Upward arrows indicate in situ training conducted by the researcher.