On average, over 3,000 children and adolescents ages 0 to 19 die each year in the U.S. from a firearm injury. In children and adolescents ages 0-19, almost 60% of those deaths are by homicide. In this infographic, Firearm Safety: Preventing Death by Homicide, from Children’s Safety Network, in collaboration with the Children’s Safety Now Alliance, you can learn more about how these rates differ by sex, race/ethnicity, and ways you can help keep children safe.
FIREARM SAFETY: Preventing Death by Homicide
- Firearm homicide is the second leading cause of injury death for children and adolescents ages 0-19. *
- Approximately nine children and adolescents ages 0 to 19 die by firearm injury each day in the U.S., and about five of those deaths are homicide-related firearm injury
- Firearm injury homicide death rates increased by 5.8% per year on average between 2013 and 2019.**
- More than half (57%) firearm injury deaths are related to homicide in children and adolescents ages 0-19.
BY RACE/ETHNICITY
Black youth have the highest rates of deaths by homicide
| Firearm Homicide Rate by Race/Ethnicity Per 100,000 Children and Adolescents Ages 10-19 | |
|---|---|
| White | 0.7 |
| Black | 9.6 |
| American Indian/Alaskan Native | 2.1 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.6 |
| Hispanic | 1.8 |
BY SEX
Males have a higher firearm homicide rate than females
| Firearm Homicide Death Rate by Sex Per 100,000 Adolescents Ages 10-19 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | |
| Ages 0-9 | 4.9 | 0.8 |
| Ages 10-19 Years | 7.2 | 1.2 |
PREVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS
For Families: Store firearms safely, use gun safes or gun locks, and store bullets separately
For Clinicians: Screen caregivers of youth for the presence of a firearm in the home and educate them around firearm safety
For Schools and Communities: Provide social and emotional learning and behavioral skills training to youth to reduce violence and prevent harmful use of firearms
MORE INFORMATION
- Firearm Safety 2021 Resource Guide | Children's Safety Network https://www.childrenssafetynetwork.org/resources/firearm-safety-2021-resource-guide
- Firearm Violence Prevention | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/firearms/index.html
- Childhood Firearm Injuries in the United States | Pediatrics https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/140/1/e20163486
SOURCES
*All data from CDC WISQARS, 2016-2019 unless noted.
** Joinpoint regression analysis (on data from CDC WISQARS, 2013-2019) provided annual percent change for the time points in which firearm injury trends significantly changed.