A Gun Safety Video Can Reduce Children's Unsafe Behavior Around Real Guns: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Phase: NA
Conditions: Psychology, Social, Adolescent Behavior
Sponsor: Ohio State University

 
Behavioral and Social Sciences 
Institutional Review Board 
300 Research Administration building 
1960 Kenny Road 
Columbus, OH 43210-1063 
 
orrp.osu.edu 
01/14/2022 
Study Number: 2021B0318 
Study Title: Follow-up Gun Study 
Type of Review: Initial Submission 
Review Method: Convened 
Date of IRB Approval: 01/14/2022 
Date of IRB Approval Expiration: 01/14/2023 
Dear Brad Bushman,  
The Ohio State Behavioral and Social Sciences IRB APPROVED the above referenced 
research.  
In addition, the following were also approved for this study: 
• 
Children 
• 
Waiver of Parental Permission Documentation 
ADMINISTRATIVE NOTE: The IRB determined the risks involved in the protocol were not 
greater than minimal. When submitting for continuing review please request expedited 
review. 
As Principal Investigator, you are responsible for ensuring that all individuals assisting in the 
conduct of the study are informed of their obligations for following the IRB-approved protocol 
and applicable regulations, laws, and policies, including the obligation to report any problems or 
potential noncompliance with the requirements or determinations of the IRB. Changes to the 
research (e.g., recruitment procedures, advertisements, enrollment numbers, etc.) or informed 
consent process must be approved by the IRB before implemented, except where necessary to 
eliminate apparent immediate hazards to subjects.  
This approval is issued under The Ohio State University's OHRP Federalwide Assurance 
#00006378 and is valid until the expiration date listed above. Without further review, IRB 
approval will no longer be in effect on the expiration date. To continue the study, a 
continuing review application must be approved before the expiration date to avoid a lapse in 
IRB approval and the need to stop all research activities. A final study report must be provided 
to the IRB once all research activities involving human subjects have ended.  

Records relating to the research (including signed consent forms) must be retained and 
available for audit for at least 5 years after the study is closed. For more information, see 
university policies, Institutional Data and Research Data.  
Human research protection program policies, procedures, and guidance can be found on the 
ORRP website.  
 

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY 
Institutional Review Board 
 
11/19/21 
Research Protocol 
 
I. Objectives  
Our previous research has shown that children exposed to media characters with guns in 
movies1 and video games2 are more likely to use real guns themselves (e.g., touch them, 
hold them, pull the trigger). This research tests whether exposure to a gun safety video a 
week before the study can help counteract dangerous behavior around guns.  
 
II. Background and Rationale 
Guns are prominent in movies that target children. An analysis of top selling films found 
that the depiction of guns in violent scenes in PG-13 films that target youth has increased 
from the level of G and PG files in 1985 when the rating was introduced, to the level of R 
films by 2005, to exceed the level of R films since 2012,3 a trend that has continued.4 By 
definition, a PG-13 movie is supposed to have less violence than an R-rated movie. The 
Motion Picture Association of America says on its website that the violence in a PG-13 
movie “does not reach the restricted R category.” Our study shows that it does.  
 
Previous research has shown that when exposed to movie characters that smoke, children 
are more likely to start smoking themselves5; the same is true for characters that drink 
alcohol6. Similarly, research in our lab has shown that children are more to use guns (e.g., 
handle them, pull the trigger) after exposure to movie characters who use guns.1 We 
replicated this study using video games,2 and also found that children who had taken a gun 
safety course were less likely to engage in dangerous behavior around firearms. However, 
it is difficult to draw causal inferences about the gun safety course because children were 
not randomly assigned to take or not take a gun safety course.  
 
The present research will aim to reduce dangerous behavior around firearms by first 
exposing participants to a gun safety video recorded by The Ohio State University Chief of 
Police. The control video is about car safety. Children will see the videos about a week 
before they come into the lab. We predict that children will be less likely to engage in 
dangerous behavior around real firearms if they saw the gun safety video than if they saw 
the car safety video, even if they see a movie with guns in the lab.  
 
III. Procedures 
 
A. Research Designs, Samples, Measures, and Procedures 
 
Design 
 
The experiment will test the effects of the mere presence of guns in movies on 
dangerous behavior with guns in children. Participants will be children 8-12 years old. 
Children will be tested in pairs. Each child will bring a sibling, relative, or friend to the 
study. Participants and partners will each receive a $30 gift card ($5 for watching the 
safety video at home and $25 for doing the lab study). The behavioral measure will be 
whether or not children handle a real (but non-firing) gun and whether they pull the 
trigger, including at themselves or their partners.  

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY 
Institutional Review Board 
 
11/19/21 
 
The design will be a 2 (movie clip-guns present vs. movie clip-guns absent) x 2 (gun 
safety video vs. seatbelt safety video) between-subjects design. Participants will be 
randomly assigned to conditions, but both children in the dyad will watch the same 
safety video. 
 
We predict a main effect for type of movie (i.e., children who see movie characters use 
guns will be more likely to use real guns themselves than will children who do not see 
movie characters use guns), a main effect for type of safety video (i.e., children who see 
the gun safety video will be less likely to use real guns themselves than will children 
who see the car safety video), and an interaction between type of movie and type of 
safety video (i.e., the movie with guns will have a weaker effect on children who see a 
gun safety video than on children who see a car safety video). 
 
Procedure 
 
Participants will be told that the study is about what children like to do for fun, such as 
watch videos and play with toys and games. Participants who agree to participate in the 
study will be sent consent (adult) and assent (child) forms electronically, along with a 
pretest for both adult and child to complete, should they consent and assent to 
participating in the study. These pretests were used in our previous research.1,2 After 
informed consent is obtained, the participants will be sent the safety video for the 
condition to which they are assigned (i.e., gun vs. car safety video), a short 
questionnaire about the video, and a $5 electronic gift card. Approximately one week 
after being sent the video, the participants will come to the lab for the study. 
 
Experimenters and research assistants will be wearing masks at all times and will be 
fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The lab space will be sanitized between sessions to 
ensure participant safety.  
  
Per OSU policy, all visitors to Ohio State campuses and medical facilities are required 
to wear masks indoors, regardless of their vaccination status. Children participating in 
the study and their observing parent or guardian will be required to wear masks for the 
duration of the experiment in the lab. Outdoor mask wearing is also required on campus 
for individuals who are unvaccinated when they are unable to maintain socially 
distancing. 
 
As in our previous study1, we are using two PG-rated (i.e., “Parental Guidance 
Suggested. Some Material May Not Be Suitable For Children”) Disney films (National 
Treasure, Rocketeer) that have been edited to be about 20 minutes. There will be two 
versions of each film clip, one version with guns left in and one version with guns edited 
out. Thus, there are four film clips: (1) National Treasure with guns, (2) Rocketeer with 
guns, (3) National Treasure without guns, and (4) Rocketeer without guns.  
 
Participants will be tested in pairs. After viewing the film clip, participants will be placed 
in a room containing games and toys, with hidden cameras. Participants will be told that 

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY 
Institutional Review Board 
 
11/19/21 
they can play with any of the games and toys in the room for the next 20 minutes. Some 
games and toys will be scattered about the room, and some will be placed in drawers. 
Included in the toys are Nerf guns and swords. Two real handguns will be placed in a 
separate drawer, as in our previous research.1, 2 The handguns have been modified so 
they cannot fire. Inside the magazine, the handgun contains no bullets. Instead, it 
contains a sensor that counts the number of times the trigger is pulled with sufficient 
force to discharge the gun. This allows us to distinguish reliably the children who pull 
the trigger from those who handle the gun but do not pull the trigger. Parents will be 
asked to predict whether their child will tell an adult if they find the guns, and whether 
they will handle a gun and pull the trigger. The researcher and the parents will be able 
to watch the session via a monitor in a control room.  
 
After the 20-minute play period, children will complete a posttest that consists of an 
attitudes toward guns measure, as in our previous research.1, 2 
 
A thorough debriefing will follow.  
 
Two weeks after a child participates in the experiment, the researcher will contact the 
parent for a follow-up. If any adverse psychological effects have occurred as a result of 
the encounter with the firearm, the researcher will recommend counseling services. If 
the family cannot afford these services, the PI will cover the cost of up to four sessions.  
 
 
 
 
B. Sample 
 
Based on our previous research that used a sample of 104 children7, we will double the 
sample size because this design has four groups rather than two groups. Thus, the total 
sample size will be 208 children. We are asking for 10 times this number to account for 
no-shows and other forms of invalid data, thus bringing the total to 2,008. 
 
As in our previous research, we will recruit children in a variety of ways. One way is 
through ResearchMatch.org, a national electronic, web-based recruitment tool created 
through The Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science. 
Individuals in the Columbus area who have self-identified or have identified their 
children as interested in participating in research studies will be identified through a 
targeted search using approved inclusion criteria (ages 8-12yo, willing to travel to the 
Ohio State University campus). Once approved, investigators will send a message to 
identified individuals about the available study. We will also recruit participants through 
other means (e.g., ads placed on Craigslist, Facebook, newspapers). We have been 
able to recruit the required number of participants in past research.1,2 
 
C. Internal Validity 
 
Because this is a laboratory experiment, threats to internal validity are low.  
 

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY 
Institutional Review Board 
 
11/19/21 
D. Data Analysis 
 
Data will be analyzed using negative binomial regression models, as in our previous 
research.2 The negative binomial model is appropriate for modeling-dependent 
measures that are counts. It is well-suited for over-dispersed data (i.e., the dependent 
measure has a standard deviation greater than its mean). Data will be analyzed by the 
Biostatistics Analysis Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 
Philadelphia, who will be compensated for performing the analyses. 
 
1 Dillon, K. P., & Bushman, B. J. (2017). Effects of exposure to gun violence in movies 
on children’s interest in real guns. JAMA Pediatrics, 171(11), 1057-1062. 
doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.2229 
2 Chang, J. H., & Bushman, B. J. (2019). Effect of exposure to gun violence in video 
games on children’s interest in real guns: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network 
Open, 2(5): e194319. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.4319   
3 Bushman, B. J., Jamieson, P. E., Weitz, I., & Romer, D. (2013). Gun violence trends in 
movies. Pediatrics, 132(6), 1014-1018. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2013-1600  
4 Romer, D., Jamieson, P. E., & Jamieson, K. H. (2017). The continuing rise of gun 
violence in PG-13 movies, 1985-2015. Pediatrics,139(2):e20162891. 
5 Dal Cin, S., Stoolmiller, M., & Sargent, J. D. (2012).  When movies matter: Exposure to 
smoking in movies and changes in smoking behavior. Journal of Health Communication, 
17(1), 76-89. 
6 Wills, T. A., Sargent, J. D., Gibbons, F. X., Gerrard, M., & Stoolmiller, M. (2009). Movie 
exposure to alcohol cues and adolescent alcohol problems: a longitudinal analysis in a 
national sample. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 23(1). 23-25. 

The Ohio State University Parental Permission 
For Child’s Participation in Research 
  
Study Title: Media Violence and Gun Violence 
Researcher: Brad J. Bushman, Ph.D. 
Sponsor: The Ohio State University 
IRB Protocol Number: 2021B0318 
IRB Approval Date:  1/14/2022 
  
This is a parental permission form for research participation.  It contains important 
information about this study and what to expect if you permit your child to participate. 
Your child’s participation is voluntary. 
Please consider the information carefully. Feel free to discuss the study with your 
friends and family and to ask questions before making your decision whether or not to 
permit your child to participate.  If you permit your child to participate, you will be asked 
to sign this form and will receive a copy of the form. 
 
 
Purpose: 
 
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of movies containing guns on 
children. Previous research has shown that children who see movie characters smoke 
cigarettes are more likely to smoke themselves. Likewise, children who see movie 
characters drink alcohol are more likely to drink themselves. Our previous research has 
shown that children who see movie characters use guns are more likely to use real 
guns themselves (e.g., touch them, pull the trigger).[1] In this study we want to know if 
watching a gun safety video made by The Ohio State University Police Chief will reduce 
dangerous behaviors around real guns. 
 
 
Procedures/Tasks: 
 
 
Prior to coming to the lab, we ask that you to complete a questionnaire and that your 
child watch a short (about 1 minute), instructional safety video from The Ohio State 
University Chief of Police, who wants kids to be safe. By the flip of a coin, your child will 
watch either a gun safety video or a car safety video and complete a short questionnaire 
about it. Please do not tell your child that there are two different safety videos. 
When you come to the lab for the study, your child will watch a 20-minute movie clip. 
Some of the scenes may contain violence and/or guns, but the violence will not be 
excessive or graphic, with no blood or gore involved. All movies will be age appropriate 
for children aged 8-12, as they are rated PG. The Motion Picture Association of America 
states that PG movies may contain some content that parents may not like for younger 
children and suggests parental guidance. 
  

After watching the movie clip, your child and another child (e.g., sibling, relative, friend) 
will be placed in a room containing games and toys, with hidden cameras. Participants 
will be told that they can play with any of the games and toys in the room, including two 
foam swords and two Nerf guns with soft bullets. Inside the room, two actual handguns 
will be placed in a separate drawer of a file cabinet, as in previous research conducted 
in our lab. The handguns contain no bullets and are modified so that they cannot fire. 
Inside the magazine where the bullets would usually be stored, the handguns contain a 
sensor that counts the number of times the trigger is pulled with sufficient force to 
discharge the gun. This allows us to distinguish reliably the children who pull the trigger 
from those who handle the gun but do not pull the trigger. You will be asked to predict 
whether your child will handle the gun and pull the trigger if they find the hidden gun. 
 
 
The Ohio State University Chief of Police has inspected the gun and has authorized its 
use in this study. Your child will be video recorded so we can see what they do. You can 
watch your child in the control room with the experimenter if you want to. The recording 
will be stored on a password-protected computer, backed up on a secure channel of 
Microsoft Teams, kept for 5 years after the closing of the study protocol, and will then be 
destroyed. The recordings will only be used for analyses. They will not be used in 
presentations, TV shows, or shared with other researchers.  
 
We predict that children exposed to movies containing guns will be more likely to play 
with the real gun than will children exposed to movies without guns. We also predict that 
the gun safety video will reduce dangerous behavior around the guns. However, we 
cannot tell your child this in advance or the study would be ruined. 
Your child will also complete a media questionnaire, a behavior questionnaire, and a 
gun questionnaire. If you would like to see those questionnaires, just ask the 
experimenter. 
You will also answer some questions about your child’s interest in guns and their 
exposure to guns in their daily life.   
 
 
Duration: 
 
 
The study will take 80 – 90 minutes total, with the lab portion lasting 50 – 60 minutes. 
The questionnaires you complete at home should take less than 20 minutes. Your time 
in the lab on campus will last less than an hour. Your child may leave the study at any 
time. If you or your child decides to stop participation in the study, there will be no 
penalty and neither you nor your child will lose any benefits to which you are otherwise 
entitled. Your decision will not affect your future relationship with The Ohio State 
University. 
 
 
Risks and Benefits: 
  

There is a slight risk that the encounter with the firearm will have an impact on your 
child’s mental health. We will follow up with your family 2 weeks after the experiment to 
check in on your child’s response to their participation. If necessary, we can recommend 
counselling services to help the child process the experience. If your family does not 
have insurance to cover these services, we will cover the cost of up to 4 sessions. In 
previous studies using similar activities, no families have reported adverse effects.  
 
There is a slight risk that your child will respond negatively to being deceived and 
knowing that you were aware of the deception. The debriefing process will help them 
understand that the need to tell them only half the story and let them know that the 
study was not about trying to get them into trouble.  
 
Many children think movie characters are cool, and they want to imitate their actions — 
even dangerous actions such smoking, drinking, and using guns. Our research is about 
whether children who see movie characters use guns are more likely to use real guns 
themselves. Exposure to a real gun in the study may normalize guns for the child, but 
the debriefing process after the study should reaffirm the fact that real guns are not toys 
for children to play with. 
 
One benefit of the study is that it provides a safe environment for you to see how your 
child would behave if they came across a real gun. According to the Brady Campaign to 
Prevent Gun Violence, 22 children are shot each day in the United States. We hope this 
research will benefit society by helping us understand the effects of exposure to gun 
violence in the media on children’s interest in real guns. In this study we also test 
whether gun safety videos can reduce dangerous behaviors around guns. 
 
 
Confidentiality: 
 
 
Efforts will be made to keep your child’s identity and participation in the study 
confidential.  However, there may be circumstances where this information must be 
released.  For example, personal information regarding your child’s participation in this 
study may be disclosed if required by state law.   
 
In addition, your child’s records may be reviewed by the following groups (as applicable 
to the research): 
·       Office for Human Research Protections or other federal, state, or international 
regulatory agencies; 
·       The Ohio State University Institutional Review Board or Office of Responsible 
Research Practices; 
·       The sponsor, if any, or agency (including the Food and Drug Administration for 
FDA-regulated research) supporting the study. 
 
We will work to make sure that no one sees your survey responses without approval. 
But, because we are using the Internet, there is a chance that someone could access 

your online responses without permission. In some cases, this information could be 
used to identify you 
 
Coded data may be shared with researchers on Open Science Framework (OSF). OSF 
is a website and database where researchers share their work with each other so that 
analyses and methods can be examined or replicated. Coded means that identifying 
information such as your and your child’s name and IP address are not associated 
directly with the data. The research team will maintain a code list allowing us to connect 
your and your child’s data with your identity, but that code list will not be shared with 
anyone outside our research team, so they would not know who you are. 
 
The video recordings will only be used as a reference for coding if and how your child 
interacted with the gun and will never be shared because they are inherently identifiable 
(i.e., they show faces). These recordings will be stored on a dedicated server only 
accessible to the research team and deleted five years after the study is complete.   
 
 
Will my or my child’s de-identified information be used or shared for future 
research? 
 
Yes, it may be used or shared with other researchers without your additional informed 
consent.  
 
 
Incentives: 
 
 
Your child will receive $30 (in two installments) for participating in the study, even if he 
or she withdraws. They will receive the first $5 when we send you the safety video and 
questionnaire and the second $25 when they attend the in-person lab study. They 
should watch the safety video at home before they come to the in-person lab study. 
 
 
Participant Rights: 
 
 
You or your child may refuse to participate in this study without penalty or loss of 
benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. If you or your child is a student or 
employee at The Ohio State University, your decision will not affect your grades or 
employment status. 
 
If you and your child choose to participate in the study, you may discontinue 
participation at any time without penalty or loss of benefits.  By signing this form, you do 
not give up any personal legal rights your child may have as a participant in this study. 
An Institutional Review Board responsible for human subjects research at The Ohio 
State University reviewed this research project and found it to be acceptable, according 

to applicable state and federal regulations and University policies designed to protect 
the rights and welfare of participants in research. 
 
 
Contacts and Questions: 
 
 
For questions, concerns, or complaints about the study, or if you feel your child has 
been harmed as a result of study participation, you may contact Professor Brad 
Bushman (phone: 614.688.8779; email: bushman.20@osu.edu). 
For questions about your child’s rights as a participant in this study or to discuss other 
study-related concerns or complaints with someone who is not part of the research 
team, you may contact the Office of Responsible Research Practices at 1-800-678-
6251. 
 
 
Signing the parental permission form 
 
 
I have read (or someone has read to me) this form and I am aware that I am being 
asked to provide permission for my child to participate in a research study.  I have had 
the opportunity to ask questions and have had them answered to my satisfaction.  I 
voluntarily agree to permit my child to participate in this study.  
I am not giving up any legal rights by signing this form. You may print or save this 
consent form for your records.  
  
[1] Dillon, K. P., & Bushman, B. J. (2017). Effects of exposure to gun violence in movies 
on children’s interest in real guns. JAMA Pediatrics, 171(11), 1057-
1062. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.2229 
 
 
[PAGE BREAK-FOR IRB ONLY] 
 
Signing the consent form 
  
I have read (or someone has read to me) this form.  I have had a chance to ask 
questions before making up my mind.  I want to be in this research study.   
 
Digital Signature _____________________ 
 
Time and Date_______________________ 
 
 

The Ohio State University Assent to Participate in Research 
 
Study Title: Movie Study 
Researcher: Brad J. Bushman, Ph.D. 
Sponsor: The Ohio State University 
IRB Protocol Number: 2021B0318 
  
• 
You are being asked to be in a research study. Studies are done to find 
better ways to treat people or to understand things better.  
• 
This form will tell you about the study to help you decide whether or not 
you want to participate.  
• 
You should ask any questions you have before making up your mind. You 
can think about it and talk about it with your family or friends before you 
decide.  
• 
It is okay to say “No” if you don’t want to be in the study. If you say “Yes” 
you can change your mind and quit being in the study at any time without 
getting in trouble.  
• 
If you decide you want to be in the study, an adult (usually a parent) will 
also need to give permission for you to be in the study.  
  
1. What is this study about?  
This study is about what kids like to do for fun (e.g., watch movies and videos, play 
games, play with toys).  
  
2. What will I need to do if I am in this study?  
  
At home, you will watch a 1-minute safety video made by The Ohio State University 
Chief of Police, who is concerned about keeping kids safe. You will also complete a 
short questionnaire about your favorite TV programs, movies, and video games, and 
how you behave. At the university, you will watch part of a movie for 20 minutes and will 
play with toys and games for 20 more minutes. You will also complete a survey about 
the movie and what you think about other activities.  
  
3. How long will I be in the study?  
  
Home part: 20-30 minutes  
University part: 50-60 minutes  
  
4. Can I stop being in the study?  
  
You may stop being in the study at any time.  
  
5. What bad things might happen to me if I am in the study?  
  

We don’t expect anything bad to happen to you, but there is always a chance that 
something could make you upset during a research study.  
  
6. What good things might happen to me if I am in the study?  
  
You can help scientists understand how videos and movies affect kids, and what kids 
like to do.  
  
7. Will I be given anything for being in this study?  
  
You will be given $30, even if you decide to stop the study. First, you will be given $5 for 
watching a safety video. When you come to the university, you will be given another 
$25. $5 plus $25 equals $30.  
  
8. Who can I talk to about the study?  
  
For questions about the study, you may contact Professor Brad Bushman (phone: 
614.688.8779; email: bushman.20@osu.edu). To discuss other study-related questions 
with someone who is not part of the research team, you may contact the Office of 
Responsible Research Practices at 1-800-678-6251. 
 
 
[PAGE BREAK-FOR IRB ONLY] 
 
Signing the assent form 
  
I have read (or someone has read to me) this form.  I have had a chance to ask questions 
before making up my mind.  I want to be in this research study.   
 
Digital signature______________ 
 
Date and time________________