Over 7,000 American children die from pedestrian injuries annually, and pedestrian injury ranks among the top 5 causes of unintentional child death. Prevention efforts are multifaceted. One strategy, use of virtual reality (VR) to teach children to cross streets, is of growing interest to public health practitioners. The present study is a systematic review and meta-analysis that examined the efficacy of using VR to teach children pedestrian safety. Following PRISMA guidelines, searches among 7 databases were completed, followed by abstract/full-text screening and data extraction. Hedge’s g was computed for the effect sizes of 3 outcomes: pedestrian knowledge, pedestrian-relevant cognition (attention to traffic, time to contact, start delay), and pedestrian behaviors (safe crossings, unsafe crossings). Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane guidelines. Meta-regression analyses and subgroup analyses were conducted including 3 moderators: age, sex, and immersion level. A total of 20 studies, reported in 24 articles, were included in the qualitative analysis. Meta-analysis of the 12 studies with sufficient quantitative data available showed a statistically significant medium effect of VR safety interventions on child pedestrian knowledge and behavior. Mixed results emerged for the effect of VR safety interventions on children’s pedestrian-relevant cognition. Age and sex moderated the effect of VR training on pedestrian knowledge. This synthesis of the literature on pediatric VR pedestrian safety interventions suggests an overall beneficial impact of VR interventions to teach children how to cross streets safely. Efforts should continue to develop and disseminate effective VR interventions. CRD42022309352

Objective: Unintentional injuries, the leading cause of death for American children, are caused by a range of psychosocial factors, including risk behavior. One factor that may impact child risk-taking is modeling of superhuman risk-taking from superhero media, both immediately following superhero exposure and based on lifetime exposure and engagement. Methods: Fifty-nine 5-year-olds were randomly assigned to view either a 13-min age-appropriate superhero television show or a comparable nonsuperhero show. After the viewing, children engaged in three risk-taking measures: (a) activity room, unsupervised play for 5 min with assortment of apparently dangerous items that might encourage child risk-taking; (b) picture sort, 10 illustrations of children in risk situations, with participant response concerning intended risk-taking in that situation; and (c) vignettes, 10 stories presenting situations with varying degrees of risk, with participant response on intended choice. Parents completed questionnaires concerning children’s long-term superhero media exposure and individual superhero engagement (e.g., if child’s most recent Halloween costume was of a superhero). Correlations and regressions evaluated effects of immediate superhero exposure, lifetime superhero exposure, and lifetime superhero engagement on children’s risk-taking. Results: Mixed results emerged. Lifetime superhero exposure was significantly related to children’s risk-taking outcomes in two bivariate (vignettes and picture sort) and one multivariate (picture sort) model. Neither immediate superhero exposure nor lifetime superhero engagement was strongly related to risk-taking. Conclusions: Children’s lifetime superhero exposure may influence children’s risk-taking. Given American children’s substantial media exposure, research should continue to unpack the role of superhero media on children’s unintentional injury and other health risk behaviors.

In the present study, we analyzed qualitative survey data from 538 school psychologists across schools in the United States regarding their perceptions of school safety issues and potential strategies to address school safety. There are only a few studies exploring the experiences and perspectives of school psychologists that have been based on large-scale qualitative data. Using inductive coding, three themes for safety concerns emerged: (a) aggressive behaviors from students, (b) mental and behavioral needs, and (c) limited staffing. Three themes also emerged for potential solutions: (a) professional development/training, (b) school–family–community relationships, and (c) threat assessments. These findings from school psychologists have implications for addressing structural issues to prevent school violence in research and practice. Policy recommendations to inform resource allocation and improve school safety are discussed.

In the United States, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is significantly less diagnosed in Spanish-speaking populations compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Structural barriers such as transportati...