Firearm deaths continue as leading cause of demise among US children

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
21 Aug 2023 21:23

A new report published in the journal Pediatrics sheds light on the deeply concerning and persistent issue of firearm-related deaths among children in the United States.

Cheyenne Harris yells with other demonstrators at the March for Our Lives anti-gun protest outside the State Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, April 3, 2023 (AP)

A study published in the journal Pediatrics has revealed that firearm-related deaths remain the primary cause of death among children in the United States, with rates having risen in recent times.

The study indicated that there was a 41.6% increase in the firearm death rate from 2018 to 2021. Firearms became the leading cause of death among US children and adolescents in 2020, and the situation worsened in 2021 with increased deaths and growing disparities.

The study pointed out that the majority of firearm deaths, around 84.8%, involved males. Additionally, nearly half of all firearm-related deaths (49.9%) occurred within the black population. A substantial portion of these deaths, around 81.4%, were concentrated among individuals aged 15 to 19, and a significant portion of these fatalities were due to homicide, accounting for nearly two-thirds.

In terms of specific demographics, 67.3% of firearm homicides involved black children.

Despite the bleak warnings accompanied by the many mass shootings, the #US is still plunged in the #gunviolence epidemic, and it doesn't seem that it will stop any time soon. pic.twitter.com/8VSQMpWGOd
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) February 22, 2023

Regarding firearm suicides, the study noted that white children accounted for 78.4% of such cases. While the suicide rate increased among both black and white children from 2020 to 2021, it decreased among American Indian and Alaskan Native children.

The study also highlighted a correlation between high levels of poverty and an elevated firearm death rate across the United States.

Given these alarming findings, the study emphasized the immediate necessity for enhanced monitoring of the firearm death crisis and the implementation of strategies to prevent such tragic outcomes, especially for children who are at the greatest risk.

It is worth noting that the study's data was drawn from mortality records maintained by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, utilizing death certificates from all 50 states and Washington, DC. The research was led by Dr. Chethan Sathya, the director of Northwell Health’s Center for Gun Violence Prevention.