Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Post

- Recent data is incomplete, but in a 2019 study of 204 countries and territories, the U.S. ranked 32nd for gun homicides based on population, with a rate of 3.96 deaths per 100,000 people. - Subtracting the number of gun homicides in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and St. Louis from 2022 FBI gun homicide data would decrease the U.S. gun homicide rate from 5.0 deaths per 100,000 people to 4.5 per 100,000 people. - That wouldn’t reduce the rate enough for the U.S. to be on the lowest end of a global gun violence ranking.

Why are few funds invested by the Federal Government to study gun violence? Gun violence is among America’s most deadly and costly public health crises. But unlike other big killers — diseases like cancer and HIV or dangers like automobile crashes and cigarettes — sparse federal money goes to studying gun violence or preventing it. That’s because of a one-sentence amendment tucked into the 1996 congressional budget bill: “None of the funds made available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be used to advocate or promote gun control.” Its author was Jay Dickey, an Arkansas Republican who called himself the “point man” for the National Rifle Association on Capitol Hill. And for nearly 25 years the amendment was perceived as a threat and all but paralyzed the CDC’s support and study of gun violence. Even so, a small group of academics have toiled to document how gun violence courses through American communities with vast and tragic outcomes. Their research provides some light as officials and communities develop policies mostly in the dark. It has also inspired a fresh generation of researchers to enter the field — people who grew up with mass shootings and are now determined to investigate harm from firearms. There is momentum now, in a time of rising gun injury and death, to know more. #gunviolence #federalfunding #nra

 The U.S. surgeon general finally declared gun violence in this country a public health crisis. In 2020, gun violence became the leading cause of death among U.S. children and adolescents. The firearm mortality rate among youths in the U.S. is 11 times higher than in France, 36 times higher than in Germany and 121 times higher than in Japan. Nothing devastating and far-reaching consequences to the public's well-being, the US surgeon general called for more research funding, better mental health access and other steps such as secure storage to reduce harm. Studies have shown the increase in firearm-related fatalities among U.S. youth has taken a disproportionate toll on Black communites. Mass shootings, despite representing a small percentage of firearm-related deaths, have also increased in recent years. The country has seen more than 600 such incidents in each full year since 2020, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as involving at least four victims. US surgeon general wise goal is to take gun violence out of the realm of politics and into the realm of public health. But many of the solutions that the report recommended, such as expanding background checks and banning assault-style weapons, have little chance of becoming law, with Republican lawmakers in Congress staunchly opposed to virtually all gun limits as violations of the U.S. Constitution's guaranteed right to bear arms. Can we put the physical and mental health of our children first? https://lnkd.in/exbNrH8x

The shooting today at Lakewood Church, Houston, is another reminder that the world is NO LONGER Safe for our families, breadwinners, and innocent children. We all are not safe as long as people have unhindered access to guns and other destructive weapons. With the COVID-19 pandemic and prolonged restrictions, there has been an increase in several mental health issues. People are more depressed, demented, anxious, and suicidal. We need to help make the world a safer place for us all – and for our families. Although gun violence is a fixture in American life, the issue has remained a highly political one, a case of gun control vs people who are very protective of their right to bear arms. There were over 656 and 42 (already) mass shootings in 2024 and 2023 respectively across the US according to Gun Violence Archive (GVA).  In 2023, 43,053 persons were killed through gun violence from all causes (homicide, suicide, murder, unintentional murder, etc.).  How long can we allow this to continue? The immediate impact and long-term consequences of gun violence are unimaginable. The trauma to the victims and family members which is unimaginable is what we can stop if we take gun control issues more seriously (and less politically). Who is allowed to buy and handle guns? What is their mental health status? Why do they need the gun(s)? We can, as a nation, do much better as we honestly address the issue of gun violence in our states and nation.    Join the movement. Let’s drop our guns today! #GunViolence #Health #Family #CFHI

#Memphis and #ShelbyCountyTN are learning from the White House and other offices of violence prevention across the country as we launch ours this fall. The whole-of-government approach is key to aligning resources and strategies across departments, offices, divisions, and even jurisdictions. Just imagine what we can do together!

Michigan is our home. With these 4 new gun laws that went into effect in February, our home is now safer for all: 1) Safe Storage:  Michigan requires guns to be locked and safely stored in homes with children. 2) Extreme Risk Protection Orders: Michigan can temporarily remove guns if a person is posing a risk to themselves or others. 3) Domestic Violence Protections: Michigan protects domestic violence survivors by removing all guns from abusers for 8 years. 4) Universal Background Checks: Michigan requires background checks for all gun purchases, including those between two individuals. We proudly support gun reform laws and partnered with End Gun Violence Michigan to get the word out (billboard sponsored by Physicians for the Prevention of Gun Violence).

Fear is the one thing that connects us all. Fear is a risk factor that isn't acknowledged enough when we talk about a public health approach to gun violence prevention. When I heard the details about the shooting at the Kansas City Super Bowl celebration my first thought "What kind of moron takes a gun to a parade?" And then I asked myself, "How scared of being hurt or killed is a person who feels the need to carry a gun to a parade?" A few years ago a survey of Denver youth revealed the majority of young people who carry guns do so because they think everyone else has one. And let me be clear, this isn't them saying they're specifically afraid of a school shooting -- they are saying they are scared they will need one in the society which they live in. Many Second Amendment supporters also state the reason they exercise their right to beat arms is because they are scared of a tyrannical government. Research proves the majority of gun owners bought their weapon(s) for protection and a sense of security. Unfortunately, we know the presence of firearms dramatically increases the loss of life or serious injury. Whether that be in society at large or in one's own home. We need to explore more public health/ public safety/ community partnerships to improve people's sense of security and safety. Gun violence prevention begins with serving basic human needs as defined in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs pyramid. Am I wrong?

As the leading cause of death among children and teens ages 1-17, gun violence is a prevalent—and increasing—problem in the U.S. What are Americans’ perceptions of gun violence in the U.S.? My colleagues and I at the Ad Council Research Institute commissioned a poll among 3,000 Americans to get in-the-moment data on gun violence, and to promote prevention strategies to curtail gun violence and its impact on young people—including perception and attitudes, overall impact, and potential solutions to addressing gun violence and firearm-related incidents. Some of our key findings include: - Gun violence is a top three issue Americans are concerned about. - Americans, especially parents, are aware of and concerned about the risk and impact of gun violence on children, and some are discussing gun violence at home. - They believe education and safe gun storage are most likely to reduce gun violence. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gHn9vDDt

Have you heard that 2023 actually saw significant decreases in U.S. gun violence? News about skyrocketing gun violence was hard to avoid after the onset of the pandemic. And while statistics still paint a violent picture, the progress from the preceding two years is undeniable. It's also, unfortunately, also largely unreported. News outlets can be unrelenting when covering violence, particularly in urban areas, but few have reported deeply on the decline of gun violence or started exploring the strategies that have helped create that progress. That's not a problem for The Trajectory, a newsletter from The Trace and Chip Brownlee. The last edition of 2023 lays out the progress being made in big cities as well as some of the tangible steps that were taken to get there. In Buffalo, homicides fell by 40% and in Philadelphia by 24%. And that's just two cities. Data shows that laws enacted on the federal, state, and local level have all contributed to safer communities, along with large investments in community violence prevention. You have a right to know that! And learn more about it! When multiple cities are able to reduce a cycle of violence, that progress is just as newsworthy as the problem. So 1) if you're a journo on the public safety beat, start trying to figure out WHY and HOW these reductions happened. People need to be well-informed if the progress is to be sustained and improved; 2) give some time to this deeply informative roundup from The Trace. After all, you deserve it. https://lnkd.in/gryhKpVw