# data[].attributes.body
Gun Violence is prevalent everywhere but it mostly disproportionately impacts people of color, men & boys in deprived communities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Overview

Gun violence is a daily scourge that threatens our most fundamental right: the right to life. More than 600 people die every day as a result of firearms violence, which is driven in part by easy access to firearms - whether legal or illegal.

Anyone can be affected by gun violence, but it often disproportionately impacts people of colour, men and boys in deprived communities, and other marginalized groups. Domestic violence involving firearms also puts women at heightened risk of death or life-changing injuries.

Sometimes, the mere presence of firearms can make people feel threatened and fearful for their lives. They may be too afraid to attend schools or health facilities. Community-wide gun violence may prevent services from fully functioning, which can harm access to education or healthcare.

The vast majority of gun violence occurs outside of armed conflict settings. A significant proportion - in some states more than half - of firearm deaths are caused by suicide and accidents.

Our human rights are not protected if our leaders fail to tackle and end the epidemic of gun violence and gun deaths.

Previous Next

What is gun violence?

Gun violence is violence committed with firearms, such as handguns, shotguns, or semi-automatic rifles. More than 600 people are estimated to die every day from gun violence with two-thirds of gun-related deaths, including suicides, occurring in just six countries (in descending order): Brazil, the USA, Venezuela, Mexico, India and Colombia.

Up to 71% of all homicides globally involve gun violence. The majority of victims and perpetrators are young men, but women are at particular risk of violence from an intimate partner possessing a firearm. Sexual violence can also be perpetrated at gunpoint.

Firearms cause devastating injuries that leave a lasting impact on mental and physical health. Some gunshot victims need intensive, lifelong care. Others may lose their ability to work. Many have little or no access to programmes that offer adequate long-term care and rehabilitation.

How many guns are there?

More than 1 billion firearms are in circulation globally. The vast majority - 85%- are in the hand of private individuals, 13% are in military arsenals and 2% are owned by law enforcement agencies.

Gun violence committed by private individuals is typically concentrated in low-income urban neighbourhoods with high levels of crime, including drug trafficking. Many of these areas are blighted by inadequate policing or policing which does not comply with international standards on human rights and law enforcement, and a lack of access to public services.

Therefore, easy access to and proliferation of firearms, combined with socio-economic factors, can have a harmful impact on the community's full range of human rights.

Gun violence and the right to health
Gun violence can rob people of their lives, health and right to healthcare.
People living in communities plagued by firearm violence may find it difficult or even dangerous to access health care facilities. This is especially true in areas where neighbourhoods are partitioned by armed criminal gangs or subject to curfews due to insecurity.

Gun violence can also deter local authorities and NGOs from setting up community health services, and contributes to poor staff retention. Survivors of domestic violence often do not have the essential psychological support or safe accommodation they need in neighbourhoods wracked by firearm violence.

The psychological toll from rampant gun violence is often heavy, particularly for victims, their family members and those who have witnessed shootings. Survivors may be left with debilitating and life-changing injuries which require long-term medical and social care.

Gun violence and the right to education

Mass shootings and other firearm violence can disrupt children's education and make students' journeys to and from school dangerous.

Endemic gun violence damages the learning environment by disrupting school attendance and rates of retention, and makes it harder to recruit and retain teaching staff.

This can, in turn, lead to poorer outcomes for students in terms of employment and income. It can also perpetuate cycles of deprivation, crime and violence.

Gun violence exacerbates the impact of systemic discrimination.
In 2020, 60.9% of the 19,995 people killed by gun homicide in the US were African Americans, despite African Americans making up just 13% of the US population.

Black men and boys aged 15-34 are more than 10 times more likely to die from firearm homicide than white men and boys of the same age group.

Failure to address systemic discrimination; failure to keep firearms out of the hands of those most likely to misuse them; and a failure to invest in gun violence prevention programmes all contribute to this crisis.
Women facing domestic violence and children are also disproportionately affected by gun violence.
In 2020, the ratio of women in the Caribbean killed in gun violence was more than three times the global average. In the USA, guns are now the leading cause of death for children. Furthermore, between 2% and 7% of all injuries treated at US paediatric trauma centres are gun-related.

Gun Violence Figures Worldwide

How can governments stop gun violence?

Effectively implemented gun regulation and evidence-based violence prevention projects can stop the carnage.

As a first step, states should recognize firearm violence as a threat to people's human rights, in particular their rights to life, to physical integrity and security of person, and to health.

Gun regulation and gun licences

States can set up some basic systems to regulate how private individuals can own and use firearms and ammunition to prevent them from using firearms to abuse human rights.

International standards recommend prohibiting any possession of firearms without a licence; that states should register all firearms; and that unlicensed possession should be treated as a criminal offence.

A firearms licence should be subject to certain criteria. For example, the applicant should undergo a comprehensive background check to identify any risks, such as:

a criminal record - especially for violent behaviour in the home or community; history of gender-based, sexual or domestic violence;

history of problematic use of drugs/alcohol, emotional issues, mental health conditions and

any other circumstances which heighten the risks of the harm to self or others using firearms.

Gun licences should be time-limited and training on how to use the weapon should be mandatory. The number and type of weapons that an individual can possess should also be strictly limited in line with the principles of necessity and credible justification.

Some firearms and ammunition represent an unacceptable level of risk to public safety and should be banned for personal use. These should include, at a minimum, fully automatic firearms, semi-automatic assault rifles, semi-automatic shotguns and semi-automatic submachine guns.

Does gun reform work?

Yes, gun reform works. Almost all countries regulate gun acquisition, possession and use in some form. Most do this by licensing users and registering firearms.

Gun reform works in parts of the world where there are strict controls on access to firearms and well-enforced firearms regulations. This is the case for much of Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia. For example, in Japan, South Korea and Singapore, the rate of firearm violence is extremely low.

What does Amnesty do about gun violence?

Amnesty International is campaigning to strengthen regulations on firearm sale, transfer, use and possession. We support the creation of evidence-based violence reduction programmes in communities with persistently high levels of firearms violence.

You can stand up and remind our leaders of their obligation to keep us safe. You can play a crucial role in campaigning and protesting against gun violence and making it clear to governments that they must tackle this through strict controls on guns and effective interventions in communities suffering high levels of gun violence.
You have the power to tell governments that by using gun laws, we can all live safely and without fear - which is our right.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We have the right to be safe from gun violence.

# data[].attributes.body
In 2021, Firearms became the leading cause of death in teens and children in America.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Gun violence in America is at a crisis point. Every day, more than 110 people are killed from guns and more than 200 are shot and wounded.

# data[].attributes.body
Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) talks about the reality of being black in America. Childish Gambino has references to multiple violent events and issues of racial prejudice that people of color go through. ¨Guns in my area, I got the strap now, I gotta carry em´¨ refers to the fact that guns are common to have in his neighborhood and are needed in order to survive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Childish Gambino - This Is America (Official Video)

# data[].attributes.body
All American Boys follows two high school teens; Rashad and Quinn. After Quinn witnessed a horrific altercation that happened between Rashad and a police officer whom he presumed he knew fairly he still decided to stand up against police brutality and protested against him. Similarly in Long Way Down after witnessing the death of his brother, Will set out to get revenge for his brother's murder. Both boys wanted to act in retaliation for the horrific events they both witnessed.

# data[].attributes.body
Dion Green is a survivor of a mass shooting that took place in Dayton, Ohio in the fatal shooting his dad and eight other victims were killed. He has made it a mission to speak out about gun violence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Well, on the night of August 4, 2019, I was out enjoying the night with my father, Derrick Fudge, at a popular nightclub district in downtown Dayton, Ohio, called the Oregon District. A young male came down the side of the building firing a AR-15 weapon, killing my father beside me and eight other innocent lives. I was performing CPR, trying to save my dad's life; the shooter was still on the street, shooting, until the police took him down. I still cannot believe that I did not die that night, but instead my father died for me, shielding the bullets that could have been for me.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A young male named Connor Betts came down the side of the building firing a AR-15 weapon, killing my father beside me and eight other innocent lives.

# data[].attributes.body
Firearms were commonly carried among youths between the ages of 14-17 years old. Gun carrying was prevalent amongst those who experienced violence, suicidal ideation or attempts, or substance use.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Summary
What is already known about this topic?
Among youths aged 14-17 years, suicide and homicide are the second and third leading causes of death, respectively. Most youth homicides result from firearm injuries; firearms are the most common method of youth suicide.
What is added by this report?
Using a new measure that excludes recreational gun carrying, one in 15 male and one in 50 female high school students reported carrying a gun for nonrecreational purposes at least once during the preceding 12 months. Gun carrying was more prevalent among those who experienced violence, suicidal ideation or attempts, or substance use.
What are the implications for public health practice?
Comprehensive strategies using the best available evidence including addressing youth substance use and gun carrying can prevent youth violence and suicide.

Altmetric:

Citations:

Views:
Views equals page views plus PDF downloads

Suicide and homicide are the second and third leading causes of death, respectively, among youths aged 14-17 years ( 1); nearly one half (46%) of youth suicides and most (93%) youth homicides result from firearm injuries ( 1). Understanding youth gun carrying and associated outcomes can guide prevention initiatives ( 2). This study used the updated measure of gun carrying in the 2017 and 2019 administrations of CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey* (YRBS) to describe the national prevalence of gun carrying for reasons other than hunting or sport among high school students aged <18 years and to examine the associations between gun carrying and experiencing violence, suicidal ideation or attempts, or substance use. Gun carrying during the previous 12 months was reported by one in 15 males and one in 50 females. Gun carrying was significantly more likely among youths with violence-related experiences (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] range = 1.5-10.1), suicidal ideation or attempts (aPR range = 1.8-3.5), or substance use (aPR range = 4.2-5.6). These results underscore the importance of comprehensive approaches to preventing youth violence and suicide, including strategies that focus on preventing youth substance use and gun carrying ( 3).

CDC's YRBS uses an independent three-stage cluster sample design to achieve a nationally representative sample of students in grades 9-12 who attend public or private schools in the 50 states and the District of Columbia ( 4). The overall response rates for 2017 and 2019 were 60% (14,765) and 60.3% (13,677), respectively. After the removal of responses missing age (153; 0.5%), those indicating legal age to purchase a firearm (i.e., age ≥18 years) (3,412; 12%), and those missing sex (138; 0.5%) or gun carrying information (2,927; 10.3%), the final analytic sample included 21,812 students. Information on YRBS weighting, sampling, and psychometric properties has previously been reported ( 4,5). YRBS was reviewed and approved by CDC and ICF institutional review boards. †

The YRBS gun carrying question was modified in 2017 to exclude carrying for recreational use and to expand the time frame from 30 days to 12 months to permit inclusion of infrequent carrying. Gun carrying was assessed by the question, "During the past 12 months, on how many days did you carry a gun? (Do not count the days when you carried a gun only for hunting or for a sport, such as target shooting)." The question reflects overall gun carrying and is not specific to a particular context such as a school or neighborhood. Gun carrying on school property is not assessed in the national YRBS. Both years of data (2017 and 2019) with the same new wording were used to maximize the sample size for analyses with relatively rare experiences and risk behaviors. The prevalence of gun carrying was comparable across years. Responses were coded as zero days versus ≥1 days (1 to ≥6 days), and prevalence differences were examined by sex, race and ethnicity, age, and sexual identity (i.e., heterosexual, gay/lesbian/bisexual, or not sure). Chi-square and t-tests were used to assess demographic differences, with p-values <0.05 considered statistically significant. Associations between gun carrying and 17 independent variables reflecting experiences with violence, suicidal ideation or attempts, or substance use (Supplementary Table 1, https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/119459) were assessed in separate sex-stratified adjusted logistic regression models, which generated aPRs and corresponding 95% CIs for each independent variable. All regression models included age, race and ethnicity, and sexual identity. SUDAAN statistical software (version 11.0.1; RTI International) accounted for the complex sample design and weighting of the survey. Frequency of gun carrying was examined among 766 male and 209 female students who carried a gun on ≥1 day in the 12 months preceding the survey. Similar models were used to test differences between those who carried a gun on ≥6 days compared with those who carried a gun on 1-5 days.

Gun carrying was significantly more prevalent among males (6.8%) than among females (1.9%) ( Table 1). Among males, gun carrying was most common among non-Hispanic Black (Black) students (10.6%), followed by Hispanic (7.2%) and non-Hispanic White (White) (6.1%) students. Among females, gun carrying was more common among Hispanic (3.5%) than among Black (2.0%) and White students (1.1%).

Gun carrying was significantly more prevalent among those students who had experienced violence, suicidal ideation or attempts, or substance use than it was among those who had not ( Table 2). For example, gun carrying among males and females was more prevalent among those who had been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property (25.9% and 11.2%, respectively) than it was among those who had not (5.2% and 1.3%, respectively). The aPRs for all 10 violence-related experiences, including fighting, bullying, dating violence, missing school because of safety concerns, and sexual violence, were significant (aPR ranges = 1.6-6.3 and 1.5-10.1 among males and females, respectively). Gun carrying was significantly more prevalent among students who reported seriously considering attempting suicide (aPR for males = 1.9; aPR for females = 1.8) or attempting suicide (aPR for males = 3.1; aPR for females = 3.5) than it was among those who had not. Each substance use measure was associated with higher prevalence of gun carrying (aPR ranges = 4.2-5.2 and 4.3-5.6 among males and females, respectively). Students who had been offered or sold drugs on school property were also more likely to carry a gun (aPR for males = 2.8; aPR for females = 4.0).

Most students who carried a gun reported carrying on 1-3 days (males = 46.8%; females = 69.8%) or ≥6 days (males = 42.0%; females = 21.6%) during the past 12 months ( Figure). Overall, those who carried a gun on ≥6 days were more likely to report three of the violence-related experiences, suicidal ideation or attempts, and all four substance use measures than were those who carried a gun less often (Supplementary Table 2, https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/119473).

Discussion

The revised YRBS question helps distinguish potentially risky forms of gun carrying from recreational use, and the expanded time frame allows infrequent gun carrying by youths to be included. Whereas one in 15 males and one in 50 females carried a gun at least once in the 12 months before the survey, the prevalence of gun carrying was much higher among some subgroups of youths, particularly those who missed school because of safety concerns and those who had experienced violence. For example, among those who were threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, more than one in four males and one in nine females carried a gun. Youths who carried a gun more frequently were more likely to have engaged in substance use and to have experienced violence. Youths who carry guns often report self-protection as the reason; however, youth gun carrying is associated with risk for serious injury or death ( 2,6). The higher prevalence of gun carrying among those who have experienced suicidal ideation or attempts or other forms of violence highlights the potential for lethal consequences if firearms are used against oneself or others. The association between youth gun carrying and substance use further suggests an increased risk for impaired, impulsive, situational, or escalating actions ( 7).

When variations in gun carrying across racial and ethnic groups and in relation to youth behaviors and experiences are reviewed, consideration of the larger context is important. Social and structural conditions (e.g., concentrated poverty, high crime rates, and economic or residential instability) are associated with youth violence and contribute to inequities in violence among racial and ethnic minority populations ( 3). Further, youths who have experienced violence, discrimination, or racism might feel an increased need for protection, might be unwilling or unable to rely on law enforcement, and might carry a gun for self-protection ( 2,6).

The findings in this report are subject to at least four limitations. First, YRBS data are cross-sectional and cannot be used to determine the temporal order of associations. Second, all examined behaviors, including gun carrying, were self-reported and therefore might be misreported. Third, the category of students unsure of their sexual identity might include students who are not yet certain of their sexual identity and students who did not understand the question ( 4). Finally, YRBS does not collect contextual factors that might elucidate the gun carrying behaviors of youth (e.g., how acquired, where carried, substance use while carrying, and carrying a gun for someone else).

These findings suggest that a substantial proportion of high school students, particularly those who have experienced violence, suicidal ideation or attempts, or who engage in substance use, carry guns outside the context of hunting or sport. Some studies have found that counseling and education with provision of safety devices can promote safer firearm storage behaviors in the home and that child access prevention laws are associated with reductions in risk for firearm suicide, unintentional firearm injuries, and gun carrying among children and youths (8-10). However, additional research is necessary to identify strategies to prevent youth gun carrying and support effective implementation of such strategies, especially among those youths at highest risk for experiencing violence. Taken together, the results underscore the importance of comprehensive approaches to preventing multiple forms of violence affecting youths and associated behaviors such as substance use and gun carrying. To help states and communities take advantage of the best available evidence to prevent violence, CDC has released a series of technical packages that describe the evidence for programs, policies, and practices to reduce multiple forms of violence, including youth violence, sexual or dating violence, and suicide, through strategies such as connecting youths to caring adults and activities, strengthening economic supports, improving access and delivery of care, creating protective environments, and teaching coping and problem-solving skills ( 3).

Corresponding author: Thomas R. Simon, tgs9@cdc.gov, 770-488-1654.

¹Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC; ²Public Health Informatics Office, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services, CDC; ³ Division of Adolescent and School Health, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, & TB Prevention, CDC.

References

1. CDC. WISQARS injury data: Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2005. Accessed July 25, 2022. www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars

2. CDC. Technical packages for violence prevention: using evidence-based strategies in your violence prevention efforts. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/communicationresources/pub/technical-packages.html

3. Anderson DM, Sabia JJ. Child-access-prevention laws, youths' gun carrying, and school shootings. J Law Econ 2018;61:489-524. https://doi.org/10.1086/699657

4. Smart R, Morral AR, Smucker S, et al. The science of gun policy: a critical synthesis of research evidence on the effects of gun policies in the United States. 2nd ed. Santa Monica, CA: Rand Corporation; 2020. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2088-1.html

Characteristic

Males
(n = 10,521)

Females
(n = 11,291)

% (95% CI)

Chi-square p-value

% (95% CI)

Chi-square p-value

0 days

≥1 day

0 days

≥1 day

Total 93.2 (92.4-93.9)6.8 (6.1-7.6)-98.1 (97.6-98.5)1.9 (1.5-2.4)-

Race and ethnicity*

Black †

89.4 (86.7-91.6)

10.6 (8.4-13.3) §

0.001

98.0 (96.8-98.8)

2.0 (1.2-3.2)

0.003

White †

93.9 (92.7-94.9)

6.1 (5.1-7.3)

98.9 (98.4-99.2)

1.1 (0.8-1.6)

Hispanic

92.8 (91.5-93.9)

7.2 (6.1-8.5) ¶

96.5 (94.9-97.6)

3.5 (2.4-5.1) ¶,**

Age group, yrs

≤15

93.7 (92.7-94.5)

6.3 (5.5-7.3)

0.170

97.6 (96.8-98.3)

2.4 (1.7-3.2)

0.028

16-17

92.8 (91.8-93.8)

7.2 (6.2-8.2)

98.5 (97.9-98.8)

1.5 (1.2-2.1) ††

Sexual identity

Heterosexual

93.6 (92.7-94.3)

6.4 (5.7-7.3)

0.290

98.4 (97.9-98.8)

1.6 (1.2-2.1)

0.098

Gay, lesbian, or bisexual

94.1 (90.7-96.3)

5.9 (3.7-9.3)

97.6 (96.4-98.4)

2.4 (1.6-3.6)

Not sure

89.7 (83.8-93.6)

10.3 (6.4-16.2)

95.6 (91.2-97.8)

4.4 (2.2-8.8)

Risk behaviors and experiences

Males

Females

Carried a gun, % (95% CI)

aPR* (95% CI)

Carried a gun, % (95% CI)

aPR* (95% CI)

Did not experience the risk behavior

Experienced the risk behavior

Did not experience the risk behavior

Experienced the risk behavior

Carried a weapon ¶ on school property §

5.3 (4.6-6.2)

34.3 (28.5-40.5)

6.3 (5.0-8.1)

1.5 (1.2-2.0)

21.1 (13.2-32.2)

10.1 (6.0-17.0)

Lifetime prescription drug misuse***

4.5 (3.9-5.1)

22.6 (19.4-26.1)

5.2 (4.3-6.3)

1.2 (0.9-1.6)

5.8 (4.6-7.2)

4.3 (3.1-6.1)

Suggested citation for this article: Simon TR, Clayton HB, Dahlberg LL, David-Ferdon C, Kilmer G, Barbero C. Gun Carrying Among Youths, by Demographic Characteristics, Associated Violence Experiences, and Risk Behaviors - United States, 2017-2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:953-957. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7130a1.

MMWR and Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report are service marks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are provided as a service toMMWR readers and do not constitute or imply endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content of pages found at these sites. URL addresses listed inMMWR were current as of the date of publication. All HTML versions of MMWR articles are generated from final proofs through an automated process. This conversion might result in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. Users are referred to the electronic PDF version (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr) and/or the originalMMWR paper copy for printable versions of official text, figures, and tables. Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to mmwrq@cdc.gov.

Page last reviewed:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
characteristics of high school students who carry guns

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Gun Carrying Among Youths, by Demographic Characteristics ...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This report describes self-reported gun carrying for nonrecreational purposes among male and female high school students.

# data[].attributes.body
Children and teens experience high rates of gun deaths and injuries in the US. Witnessing a fatal shooting of a friend or family also affects adolescents in America. Black and Latinx children and teens are impacted at higher rates than their white peers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When Davonte was asked what he wanted for his birthday, he didn't ask for a big celebration, he only said, "I'm glad I made it to see 18." He was shot and killed less than one week after turning 18. He had previously spoken before the Baltimore City Council on youth violence prevention.

The Deadly Impact of Guns on Children and Teens in America

Annually, nearly 4,000 children and teens (ages 0 to 19) are shot and killed, and 15,000 are shot and wounded-that's an average of 53 American children and teens every day. And the effects of gun violence extend far beyond those struck by a bullet: An estimated three million children witness a shooting each year. Gun violence shapes the lives of the children who witness it, know someone who was shot, or live in fear of the next shooting.

Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens. This is a uniquely American problem. Compared to other high-income countries, American children aged 5 to 14 are 21 times more likely to be killed with guns, and American adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24 are 23 times more likely to be killed with guns.

When American children and teens are killed with guns, 62 percent are homicides-nearly 2,500 deaths per year. Children are particularly impacted by the intersection of domestic violence and gun violence. For children under age 13 who are victims of gun homicides, 85 percent of those deaths occur in the home, and nearly a third of those deaths are connected to intimate partner or family violence. Between 2015 and 2022, nearly two in three child and teen victims of mass shootings died in incidents connected to domestic violence. Data drawn from 16 states indicate that nearly two-thirds of child fatalities involving domestic violence were caused by guns.

Another 33 percent of child and teen gun deaths are suicides-1,300 per year. And firearm suicide has been rising dramatically: Over the past decade, the firearm suicide rate among children and teens has increased by 66 percent. For people of all ages, having access to a gun increases the risk of death by suicide by three times. Research shows that an estimated 4.6 million American children live in homes with at least one gun that is loaded and unlocked. The combination of suicidal ideation and easy firearm access can be lethal. When children under the age of 18 die by gun suicide, they are likely to have used a gun they found at home: Over 80 percent of child gun suicides involved a gun belonging to a parent or relative.

Gun violence manifests in a myriad of ways in American schools, and school shootings have created new anxieties for the younger generation of students. According to an Everytown analysis, there have been at least 549 incidents of gunfire on school grounds from 2013 to 2019. Of these, 347 occurred on the grounds of elementary, middle, or high schools, resulting in 129 deaths and 270 people wounded. While mass shootings like the incident at Sandy Hook Elementary School-and, more recently, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and Santa Fe High School-are not commonplace, schools are more likely to experience gun homicides and assaults, unintentional shootings resulting in injury or death, and gun suicide and self-harm injuries. All incidents of gun violence in schools, regardless of their intent or victim count, compromise the safety of students and staff.

Children and teens who live in cities are at a significantly higher risk of gun homicides and assaults compared to their peers in rural areas. Ninety-two percent of all hospitalizations of children for firearm injuries occur in urban areas (counties with over 50,000 residents). These injuries have lifelong consequences: Almost 50 percent of the wounded have a disability when they are discharged from the hospital. Fifteen- to 19-year-olds in urban areas are hospitalized for firearm assaults at a rate eight times higher than 15- to 19-year-olds in rural areas. Urban and low-income youth are much more likely to witness gun violence than suburban and higher-income youth.

The Disproportionate Impact of Gun Violence on Black and Latinx Children and Teens

As with gun violence generally, impact among children and teens is not equally shared across populations. Black children and teens in America are 17 times more likely than their white peers to die by gun homicide. Black children and teens are 13 times more likely to be hospitalized for a firearm assault than white children. Latinx children and teens are 2.7 times more likely to die by gun homicide than their white peers.

White and Black children may live in the same city yet experience it differently. Due to policy decisions that enforce racial segregation and disinvestment in certain communities, gun violence is concentrated in Black neighborhoods within cities, many of which are marked by high levels of poverty and joblessness and low levels of investment in education. A high concentration of these factors in a neighborhood is referred to as "concentrated disadvantage" and is a strong predictor of violent crime. Youth in neighborhoods that experience concentrated disadvantage can be isolated from institutions such as schools and jobs, increasing the risk that they will engage in crime and violence, thus feeding into this vicious cycle of violence.

Black and Latinx children in cities are exposed to violence at higher rates than white children. Exposure includes witnessing violence, hearing gunshots, and knowing individuals who have been shot. Black children in Columbus, OH, were exposed to 66 percent more violence, on average, than white children. In Chicago, Latinx children had 74 percent greater odds of exposure to violence, and Black children 112 percent greater odds, than white children. When children in these cities are exposed to gun violence, their communities and schools often lack the resources to help them heal.

The disproportionate impact of gun violence on Black and Latinx children and teens extends to schools. Among the 335 incidents of gunfire at K-12 schools between 2013 and 2019, where the racial demographic information of the student body was known, 64 percent occurred in majority-minority schools. Although Black students represent approximately 15 percent of the total K-12 school population in America, they constitute 25 percent of the K-12 student victims of gunfire who were killed or shot and wounded on school grounds.

While the above discussion shows the disparate experiences of gun violence by race and ethnicity, the data further show that gun violence is concentrated in specific neighborhoods in cities, with some schools and certain communities experiencing gun violence with an alarming frequency.

Of the schools covered by gunshot detection technology in Washington, DC, just 9 percent experienced nearly half of all gunfire incidents. Four schools, including two middle schools and two high schools, had at least nine incidents of gunfire within just 500 feet of the school.

Similarly, in Los Angeles, 34 percent of middle school students in one neighborhood with high rates of violence reported exposure to firearm violence.

At certain urban middle schools in Texas, nearly 40 percent of boys and 30 percent of girls have witnessed a gun being pulled.

A study of 7-year-olds in an urban neighborhood found that 75 percent had heard gunshots, 18 percent had seen a dead body, and 61 percent worried some or a lot of the time that they might get killed or die.

The Far-reaching Impact of Children's and Teens' Exposure to Gun Violence

Children are harmed in numerous ways when they witness violence. Children exposed to violence, crime, and abuse are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol; suffer from depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder; resort to aggressive and violent behavior; and engage in criminal activity. Exposure to community violence, including witnessing shootings and hearing gunshots, makes it harder for children to succeed in school.

Children's exposure to gun violence can also erode physical health. When children live in neighborhoods where gun violence is common, they spend less time playing and being physically active, with one study finding that children said they would engage in an additional hour of physical activity every week if safety increased in their neighborhood.

Stress related to gun violence affects student performance and well-being in schools. School-aged children have lower grades and more absences when they are exposed to violence. High school students who have been exposed to violence have lower test scores and lower rates of high school graduation. One study estimated that Black children in Chicago's most violent neighborhoods spend at least a week out of every month functioning at lower concentration levels due to local homicides. In Syracuse, NY, elementary schools located in areas with high concentrations of gunshots had 50 percent lower test scores and higher rates of standardized test failure compared to elementary schools in areas with a low concentration of gunshots.

Black high school students in the US are over twice as likely as white high school students to miss school due to safety concerns. In Chicago, following spikes in neighborhood violence, students reported feeling less safe, experiencing more disciplinary problems, and having less trust in teachers.

One essential way to protect our youth and prevent children's exposure to gun violence in their communities and schools is to prevent people with dangerous histories from ever getting a gun. Recommendations for comprehensive gun safety laws include:

Background checks on all gun sales

The foundation of any comprehensive gun violence prevention strategy must be background checks for all gun sales. Under current federal law, criminal background checks are required only for sales conducted by licensed dealers. This loophole is easy to exploit and makes it easy for convicted felons or domestic abusers to acquire guns without a background check simply by finding an unlicensed seller online or at a gun show.

Extreme Risk laws

These laws, increasingly being adopted by states, empower family members and law enforcement to petition a judge to temporarily block a person from having guns if they pose a danger to themselves or others. Extreme Risk laws -also known as Red Flag laws-can help prevent suicide, too. That is meaningful because nearly six out of every 10 gun deaths are suicides, and the suicide rate among children and teens has been increasing exponentially in the past 10 years.

Secure gun storage and child access prevention laws

Secure storage laws require people to store firearms responsibly to prevent unsupervised access to firearms. A subset of these laws, known as child access prevention laws, specifically target unsupervised access by minors. Secure firearm storage practices are associated with reductions in the risk of self-inflicted and unintentional firearm injuries among children and teens-up to 85 percent depending on the type of storage practice.

Keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers

Children are frequent casualties of domestic violence homicides when a gun is involved. Research also shows that the presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation makes it five times more likely that a woman will be killed. It is imperative to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers to keep women, children, and their families safe. When abusers are convicted of domestic violence or subject to final restraining orders, they should be blocked from purchasing guns and required to turn in those they already own. We also need to close the "boyfriend loophole" by making sure those laws apply to abusers regardless of whether the violence is directed towards a spouse or a dating partner.

In addition to evidence-based gun safety laws, there are a number of programs and strategies that communities and schools can adopt to keep children and teens safe from gun violence, some examples of which include:

Threat assessment programs

Threat assessment programs-like the Everytown and AFT-endorsed Comprehensive Student Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG)-help schools identify students who are at risk of committing violence and get them the help they need in order to resolve student threat incidents. The programs generally consist of multi-disciplinary teams that are specifically trained to intervene at the earliest warning signs of potential violence and divert those who would do harm to themselves or others to appropriate treatment. Several studies have found that schools that use threat assessment programs see fewer students carry out threats of violence; and experience fewer suspensions, expulsions, and arrests. Importantly, studies have shown that CSTAG threat assessment programs generally do not have a disproportionate impact on students of color.

Safe and equitable schools

School communities must look inside their schools to make sure they are encouraging effective partnerships between students and adults, while also looking externally to ensure that they are a key community resource. Schools should review discipline practices and ensure threat assessment programs are not adversely affecting school discipline. They should work to become "community schools" by building effective community partnerships that provide services that support students, families, and neighborhoods. If and when employing school resource officers (SROs), schools should take steps to build relationships between communities and law enforcement.

Youth-centric intervention programs

A variety of programs exist to help children cope with witnessing firearm violence. School-based programs, including social emotional learning, have been shown to reduce the negative effects of children's exposure to gun violence. Mentoring programs are effective at improving academic performance and reducing youth violence. Chicago's Safe Passage program makes children feel safer on their way to and from school and may increase school attendance. To learn more about two specific organizations that help children succeed after witnessing violence, please explore these resources about the Hip Hop Heals and Becoming A Man programs.
If you or someone you know has been exposed to gun violence, there are resources that can help. Everytown's Children's Responses to Trauma provides information for parents and adults about how to support children and teens who have experienced a shooting or are upset by images of gun violence. Additional information to help with the emotional, medical, financial, and legal consequences of gun violence for individuals and communities is on our Resources page.
Everytown Research & Policy is a program of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, an independent, non-partisan organization dedicated to understanding and reducing gun violence. Everytown Research & Policy works to do so by conducting methodologically rigorous research, supporting evidence-based policies, and communicating this knowledge to the American public.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Impact of Gun Violence on Children and Teens

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Children's exposure to gun violence has far reaching effects: An estimated three million children witness a shooting each year.

# data[].attributes.body
Young people in the U.S. are facing gun violence every day in their neighborhoods & schools.

# data[].attributes.body
Davonte Friedman had stood up to talk to Baltimore City Council members about the research he found whilst doing a youth leadership program. Devonte had spoken about youth violence when talking to city council members. When talking about what he wanted for his 18th birthday he stated ¨I'm glad I made it to see 18.¨ Less than a week later Devonte was shot and killed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
DaVonte Friedman - A child lost to gun violence Since Parkland

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
More than 1,200 American kids were fatally shot during the year since the Parkland shooting. These are their stories, as collected by teen reporters.

# data[].attributes.headline
¨We´re All In The Same Gang¨ Dr Dre & MC Ren

# data[].attributes.subject
¨We´re All In The Same Gang¨ Dr Dre & MC Ren

# data[].attributes.body
This song was produced as an anti-violence message in order to reach communities that are affected by violence every day. Violence within communities is a prevalent topic that's mentioned throughout the song. ¨Bein the pimps that we are We're here to speak on a situation that has gone too far Here at home in the ghettos of LA Where a young black brother's not promised to see the next day¨ as mentioned violence is a huge issue and is becoming an overbearing common occurrence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
West Coast All Stars - We're All In The Same Gang

# data[].attributes.headline
Why we should end gun violence; for our youth

# data[].attributes.subject
Why we should end gun violence; for our youth

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why I Fight To End Gun Violence: Our Youth

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tia, Aalayah, and Teyonna fight to end gun violence for youth everywhere who deserve a chance to live and reach their full potential.

# data[].attributes.headline
A mission to teach kids about gun violence dangers

# data[].attributes.subject
A mission to teach kids about gun violence dangers

# data[].attributes.body
William Electric Black has made it his mission to teach young kids about the dangers of gun violence through nursery rhymes, mimes, and puppetry.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Former Sesame Street writer wants kids to learn about gun violence dangers

# data[].attributes.body
Gun violence affects marginalized communities more than anything. Distrust within government institutions & law enforcement can make community members less likely to report victimization and allow a perpetuated cycle of violence to keep forming in these communities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Impact of Gun Violence on Historically Marginalized Communities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Gun violence has a devastating effect on individual victims, but the weight of this crisis has a disparate impact on historically marginalized communities.