Research

Dr. Osborne's research focuses on injury prevention among children and youth, especially firearm and other injuries that occur in the home environment. She directs the SKYE Research Lab where the interdisciplinary team studies the Safety and well-being of Kids and Youth in the home Environment. If you are a KSU student who would like to become involved or a community partner looking to connect, please email Dr. Osborne at mcowart3@kennesaw.edu.

Recent Research

Peer-Reviewed Publications:

Osborne, M.C., Reidy, D., Temple, J.R., DeMello, A., & Lu, Y. (2025) Examining the relation between early violence exposure and firearm-related experiences in emerging adulthood: A longitudinal cohort study. Psychological Reports, 128(1), 78-99. https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941241254313. 

Osborne, M.C., Guastaferro, K., Banks, S.*, Vedantam, H.*, & Self-Brown, S. (2024). Firearm screening and secure storage counseling among home visiting providers: A cross-sectional study of SafeCare® providers in the U.S. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, Article 1324656. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1324656.

Osborne, M.C., Self-Brown, S., & Lai, B.S. (2022). Child maltreatment, suicidal ideation, and in-home firearm availability among adolescents in the U.S: Findings from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect. International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion, 29(1), 56-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/17457300.2021.1996397.

Conference Presentations:

Osborne, M.C., Zhang, L., Garefino, A., Haro, J.*, Freeman, R.*, & Perni, U.* (November 2025) Leveraging immersive virtual reality to prevent child injuries in the home: A proof-of-concept study. Poster presented at the American Public Health Association 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo, Washington, D.C.

Osborne, M.C., Guastaferro, K., Self-Brown, S. (April 2025). Development of a Secure Firearm Storage Module for Evidence-Based Home Visiting: A Proposed Pilot Optimization Trial. Lightning plenary session presented at the Society for the Advancement of Violence and Injury Research Annual Conference, New York, New York.

Osborne, M.C., Matheny, L., & Banks, S.* (October 2024) "I never thought to ask:” A cross-sectional study exploring U.S. parents’ experiences discussing firearms with other caregivers. Poster presented at the American Public Health Association 2024 Annual Meeting and Expo, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Active Study Recruitment Opportunities

We are not currently recruiting for research, but please check back for future opportunities.