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Fear Among Youth: Gun Deaths Among Young People (305324)
*Sumin Jeong, Office of Health Equity
Ernest Moy, Office of Health Equity
Lauren E. Russell, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Sirin Yaemisiri, Office of Health Equity
Keywords: Perception, Gun, Violence, Disparities, Race/ethnicity, Death, Mortality, Teens, Young Adults
After the Parkland shootings, most teens and parents worried a shooting could happen at school. Do these worries accurately reflect the likelihood of death via firearm? How can communication with teens, parents, and policymakers about the impact of gun violence be improved?
We used CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death Data from 1999-2019. Data for total deaths and deaths via guns, including accidental, intentional self-harm, assault, and undetermined intent were examined stratified by age, sex, race, ethnicity, and rurality. The % of deaths by gun (%Gun) was calculated as deaths via gun divided by total deaths for each group.
Black males ages 15-24 had the highest %Gun at 52% of all deaths. In contrast Hispanic, American Indian, White, and Asian males age 15-24 had %Gun of 27%, 20%, 18%, and 17% respectively.
It is logical for young people to fear gun violence; they correctly perceive that a high % of their peers who die, die by gun. The 116th Congress saw over 100 bills relating to gun violence but few of those focused on young people. More interventions to prevent gun violence and help young people cope with gun violence must be developed.