Teen Firearm Violence
see references
Teen Firearm Violence
Introduction
During the late 1980's and early 1990's, teen gun violence increased dramatically in the United States. More and more teens began to acquire and carry guns, leading to a sharp increase in gun deaths and injuries.
In recent years, however, it appears that the tide has begun to turn. Fewer teens are carrying guns now, and gun-related murders and suicides have begun to decline. Even so, many teens still illegally carry guns and harm others and themselves.
Access to Guns
Federal law makes it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to have a handgun, yet teens have little difficulty in getting them. Some get guns from their friends, while others borrow, buy, or steal them.1
Many teens have access to guns in their homes. A recent study found that 43% of households in the U.S. with children and teens had at least one gun. More than 1 in 5 gun owners with children under 18 said that they stored their weapons loaded, and about 1 in 11 said that their weapons were stored loaded and unlocked. 2 Another study found that parents owned the guns used in more than half of the teen suicides and suicide attempts.3
Gun Carrying and Use
Many teens are carrying guns today, although the numbers have decreased in recent years. Male teens, in particular, are likely to possess and carry guns.
In a 1999 National survey, almost 1 in 10 male high school students reported having carried a gun in the last 30 days, a decrease from more than 1 in 7 in 1993.4, 5
Teen arrests for gun violations have also decreased in the last few years, although there were still over 37,000 teen gun arrests in 2000.6
Gun Suicide
Guns are the number one way that teens take their own lives. Almost 60% of teen suicide deaths in recent years have involved guns.7
In 1999, 1,062 teens killed themselves with guns - almost 3 on average every day of the year.8
When teens shoot themselves, they most often do so in their own homes. Teens are at a far greater risk for suicide when there are loaded and accessible guns at home.9, 10
Gun Homicide and Assault
Along with the increase in the number of teens carrying guns in the late 1980's and early 1990's came a sharp increase in teen gun-related homicides. The increase in gun carrying meant that arguments once settled by fistfights were settled with guns.
In 1999, 1,210 juveniles were arrested for killing people with guns. While this is about a third of the number arrested in 1993, when teen gun homicides peaked, it is still far too high.11
And, for every person killed with a gun, another 3 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for non-accidental gun injuries.12
What You Can Do top
Do not carry a gun!
Teens sometimes carry guns because they are afraid or because they want to intimidate others, but carrying a gun will not make you safer.
Guns escalate conflicts and increase the chances that you will be seriously harmed. If you carry a gun, you're twice as likely to become the victim of gun violence. You also run the risk that the gun may be turned on you or that an innocent person will be hurt. And, you may do something in a moment of fear or anger that you will regret for the rest of your life.
Finally, it is illegal for a teen to carry a handgun, and it can lead to criminal charges and arrest.
How can you protect yourself without a gun?
Learn about ways to resolve arguments and fights without guns or violence, and encourage your friends to do the same. Many schools, churches, and after-school programs offer training in conflict resolution skills.
If someone is threatening you and you feel that you are in serious danger, do not take matters into your own hands. Find an adult you can trust and discuss your fears, or contact school administrators or the police. Take precautions for your safety, such as avoiding being alone and staying with a group of friends if possible.
If you know someone is carrying a gun - report him or her.
Most of us have learned from an early age that it is wrong to “snitch†on someone else, but in some instances it is the most courageous thing you can do. Tell a trusted adult, such as a teacher, guidance counselor, principal or parent. If you are afraid and believe that telling will put you in danger or lead to retaliation, find a way to anonymously contact the authorities.
If your parents have a gun at home, give them the facts.
Let them know that the number one way teens commit suicide is by firearms. And let them know how often children and teens are injured, or die, after they get their hands on a gun they find at home.
If your parents choose to keep a gun at home, encourage them to empty the bullets and to lock the gun and bullets in separate places.
If your parents do lock up guns, tell them if you know how to access the guns and suggest that they find a different location for the guns and/or keys. Why? Because if you know where keys are kept, it is likely that others, such as younger brothers and sisters, may also know.
Your local police can provide your parents with information about safe storage and gun locks.
Make sure you steer clear of guns in your friends' homes and encourage them to do the same. Stay away from teens who are attracted to guns and see them as symbols of power, not realizing how dangerous they are.
Helpful Links
Check out these Web sites to see what's already being accomplished around the U.S. to reduce firearm violence and to learn more about what you can do.
Fighting Gun Violence and Keeping Guns Away from Criminals and Our Children- 1999
http://www.usdoj.gov/archive/dag/pubdoc/Gun_Final.pdf
This document from the U.S. Department of Justice summarizes government activities to address the problem of gun violence.
Firearms and Crime Statistics, Bureau of Justice Statistics
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/guns.htm
This site summarizes Bureau of Justice Statistics findings about firearms and crime and provides access to numerous statistical publications.
Kids and Guns - OJJDP Juvenile Justice Bulletin - 1999 National Report Series
http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/jjbul2000_03_2/contents.html
This bulletin from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention provides an overview of the national statistics that show the devastating impact that the availability of guns has had on the lives and well-being of American youth.
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/yrbs/index.htm
This National survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention collects information on youth risk behaviors, including gun carrying.
References
Bergstein, J. M., Hemenway, D., Kennedy, B., Quaday, S., and Ander, R. J. (1996). Guns in young hands: a survey of urban teenagers' attitudes and behaviors related to handgun violence. Journal of Trauma, 41 (5), 794-798..
Azrael, D., Miller, M., & Hemenway, D. (2001). Are household firearms stored safely? It depends on whom you ask. Pediatrics, 106(3), E31..
Grossman, D.C., Reay, D.T., & Baker, S. A. (1999). Self-inflicted and unintentional firearm injuries among children and adolescents: the source of the firearm. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 153, 875-878.
Calculated from data provided in: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2000). Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance-United States, 1999, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Review, 49(SS05), 1-96, Table 6.
Calculated from data provided in: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1995). Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance-United States, 1993, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Review, 44(SS-1);1-55, Table 4.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ojstatbb/html/qa250.html. 20 January 2002.
Calculated from data provided in: WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System) from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System) from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Brent, D.A., Perper, J.A., Moritz, G., Baugher, M., Schweers, J., & Roth, C. (1993). Firearms and adolescent suicide: A community case-control study. American Journal of Diseases of Children, 147, 1066-1071.
Kellerman, A.L., Rivara, F.P., Rushford, N.B., et al. (1992). Suicide in the home in relationship to gun ownership. New England Journal of Medicine, 327, 467-472.
Fox, J.A. and Zawitz, M.W. (2001). Homicide Trends in the United States (Weapons Used). Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Gotsch, K. E., Annest, J.L., Mercy, J. A., & Ryan, G. W. 2001 (April). Surveillance for Fatal and Nonfatal Firearm-Related Injuries --- United States, 1993—1998. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 50(SS02);1-32, Table 5.
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