“Gun violence threatens our most basic human right, the right to life. It must end now.”
Consider these statistics:
- Gun violence has been the leading cause of death of youth under age 20 in the United States since 2020, surpassing death from car crashes, cancer, and COVID-19.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data reveals that 4,368 U.S. children and adolescents under age 20 died from firearms in 2020, with 64% by homicide and another 30% by suicide (5% of the deaths were unintentional or for an undetermined reason).
The threat to children from guns goes beyond death and serious bodily injuries. Shootings like those last year in Texas and earlier this year in Tennessee also take an immense psychological toll on their victims. For instance, children and adolescents who survive gun violence are at increased risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorders, anxiety, depression, frequent and intense nightmares, and intrusive thoughts and memories.
Read more at Future of Personal Health
