Project Details
- Principal Investigators:
- Co-Investigator: Alison Grodzinski, MLIS, UM SPH
- Project Dates: 2025-2027
- Funding Source: National Institute of Justice
- Partners: End Gun Violence Michigan
- See also:
Description
The State of Michigan’s 2025 safe storage laws (MCL 380.1313a, 380.131.b) require that all firearms in homes with children be securely stored. The laws also require that school districts communicate secure storage materials from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) with families. Ensuring that firearm-owning adults adhere to the law will require effective communication of the new policy, access to safety devices, and positive attitudes and norms related to secure storage.
School-based secure firearm storage campaigns could be cost-effective to promote firearm safety through normalizing secure firearm storage and enabling coordinated communications between school personnel, parents, and youth, while serving as community hubs for disseminating safety resources. States across the country have adopted similar secure storage laws, with a few requiring school districts to communicate them. Yet, there is a lack of rigorous research assessing the implementation and effectiveness of school-based secure storage campaigns.
This study’s purpose is to rigorously evaluate how Michigan schools are implementing the state’s 2025 safe firearm storage dissemination requirement and to assess the effectiveness of different school-based messaging strategies, including the community-led, champion-supported approach developed by End Gun Violence Michigan (EGVMI), in improving secure firearm storage knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among parents and caregivers. This study also examines how implementation processes and local context shape the effectiveness of these strategies across diverse school environments.
The objectives of this study include:
- Implementation evaluation in 30-40 schools across the state of Michigan using a stratified sampling frame
- Conduct pre/post surveys and data extraction from school administrative records to assess attitudes, norms, and behaviors of secure firearm storage among adult family members and firearm-related incidents among students
- Assess implementation components and outcomes (reach, adoption, acceptability) of SSC through implementation tracking, focus groups, and interviews
- Conduct cost/benefit analysis. Using both qualitative and quantitative analyses, including mixed-effects modeling, the team will assess overall program effectiveness and implementation factors as it relates to both adult and student behavioral outcomes.
This study is one of the first rigorous evaluations of school-based secure firearm storage campaigns and firearm-related outcomes. Upon completion of the study, the team will submit the data to The National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) and leverage existing Michigan School Safety Initiative and National Center for School Safety networks to disseminate findings to inform best practices and generalizability of such campaigns in school settings, state- and nation-wide.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is this study about?
This study aims to better understand how school districts across Michigan are communicating information related to the state’s secure firearm storage requirements (MCL 380.1313a, 380.1313b). We are interested in learning what approaches districts are using, what challenges they may be experiencing, and what support may be helpful moving forward.
Who is conducting the study?
This study is led by researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. The study is funded by the National Institute of Justice (15PNIJ-24-GG-02403-STOP) and overseen by U-M Institutional Review Board (HUM00265093). More information about the study can be found at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention.
Who is eligible to participate?
Public school districts in Michigan, including Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and Public School Academies (PSAs/charter schools), are eligible.
What does expressing interest involve?
An interest form will be available soon. Until then, interested schools can email UMsafestorage@umich.edu.
We ask that the interest form be completed by a superintendent or someone authorized to express interest in research participation on behalf of the district. Completing the interest form simply lets our team know that your district may be open to learning more. It does not commit your district to participation.
How are districts selected?
We will select approximately 30 school districts from those who express interest, using a random sampling approach to ensure representation from across the state. If your district is selected, a member of our research team will follow up to share more details and confirm your interest before any participation begins.
What would participation involve?
Participation is designed to simply document activities schools are already doing, with minimal additional burden. Our team will provide guidance and ongoing support throughout the project.
Before July 2026, schools will:
- Submit a brief letter of support and a simple work plan to meet Institutional Review Board (IRB) and compensation requirements (templates and guidance will be provided)
During the study period (August 2026–June 2027), schools will:
- Share information about any safe storage communications you are already sending to parents/caregivers
- Send up to three emails to distribute a short parent/caregiver survey
A subset of districts may also be invited to participate in a focus group or interviews. Additional compensation will be provided for those participants.
Is there compensation for participating?
Yes. Districts selected to participate will receive up to $2,000 compensation in recognition of their time and contributions. Additional compensation will be provided if selected for case studies, for focus groups and interviews.
Who can I contact with questions?
If you have any questions about the study or the interest form (coming soon), please feel free to contact us at UMsafestorage@umich.edu