Gun Violence and Risk to Children and Youth in the United States

Abstract

s we write this editorial on March 14, 2023, the Gun Violence Archive (2023) reports 110 mass shootings, 48 children aged 0 to 11 killed (114 injured), and 284 teens aged 12 to 17 killed (710 injured) from gun violence so far in 2023 in the United States. Tragically, school shootings are no longer uncommon. Some politicians, lobbyists, national organizations, and gun advocates strongly oppose any type of gun control legislation including universal background checks and closing gaps in background checks before being allowed to purchase a gun, red flag laws, raising the age to 21 to be able to purchase a gun, and bans on sale to the public of assault-type weapons such as semiautomatic military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines often used in mass shootings.Gun violence is the leading cause of death among children and youth aged 0 to 24 in the United States, surpassing deaths from motor vehicle injuries in 2017 (Lee et al., 2022a). Most homicides (~80%) and suicides (~55%) in the United States involve firearms (Kegler et al., 2022). There has been a significant increase in gun violence during the COVID-19 pandemic (Iantorno et al., 2022;Kegler et al., 2022). Not all injuries from guns result in death. Exponentially more children and youth suffer long-term physical and psychological harm from gun violence.In December 2022, the American Academy of Pediatrics published a policy statement on firearm-related injuries and deaths in children and youth and offered strategies for injury prevention and harm reduction (Lee et al., 2022b). Pediatric nurses have many interactions with children, youth, and their families. Pediatric nurses can encourage gun safety among parents who have guns at home including making sure they are unloaded, storing bullets and guns in separate locations, and maintaining guns in a locked gun safe. Parents should be urged to ask other parents and relatives about the state of gun safety when their children are invited to their home. Children and youth should be educated about firearms including what to do if they come across an unsecured weapon. Nurses can be strong advocates for gun control legislation on the local, state, and national level. Despite the heavily funded misinformation campaign that the wide access to guns is not related to the continued increase in firearm violence, injuries, and death, there are ample data to support the link, and evidence-based strategies to promote gun safety and minimize risk of harm from guns (Lee et al., 2022b). The editors of MCN, The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing strongly support gun control legislation to increase the legal age to purchase a gun to 21, a ban on the sale of assault-type weapons, and universal background checks. Nurses are well positioned to influence change to keep America's children and youth safe from gun violence. ✜