Nearly 1,300 Kids Die Of Gunshots In US Every Year: Study
A recent analysis of firearm deaths in the U.S. revealed that on an average three children die of gunshots in the country every day. The analysis also revealed that gunshots are the third leading cause of death among children aged 1 to 17 years.
The analysis published in the Journal Pediatric revealed 1,300 children below the age of 18 die of gunshot wounds every year. Each day, on an average, three children are shot dead and 15 are treated for wounds. Between 2012 and 2014, almost 1,287 children died every year and 5,790 were treated for gun injuries.
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The analysis also mentions that the number of child fatalities in the U.S. is much higher than any other high-income country and accounts for 91 percent of all firearms related deaths of children under the age of 14. The death rate among boys was higher than that of girls. Boys accounted for 82 percent of the firearm deaths between 2012 and 2014, which was 4.5 times higher than that of girls.
The new analysis also states that gun-related suicides among children are increasing at an alarming rate and account for 38 percent of the firearm deaths every year. Between 2010 and 2014, suicide rates in Idaho, Alaska, and Montana were higher than other 47 states and the District of Columbia.
Stress related to relationship, school, and crime were cited as the main reasons that triggered suicidal tendencies in children.
Homicides represented an average of 53 percent of annual gun-related deaths among children. African-American youths were most likely found to be the victims in these cases. Firearm homicides of young children were mostly caused due to the conflicts between violent parents. Firearm homicides by older children were significantly more likely to be precipitated by crimes involving drugs, among others.
The analysis noted that apart from the use of weapons, it was found that young children are often “caught in the crossfire,” many times as innocent bystanders to community violence or during incidents of intimate partner violence and family conflict.
African-American children were found to have the highest death rates by firearm that accounted for an average of 4.1 deaths per 100,000 children between 2012 and 2014. The annual rate of homicide fatalities for African-American children was nearly twice as high as the rate for Native American children.
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The death rate among black children caused due to firearms was roughly 10 times higher than the rate among white and Asian-American children.
The report stated about 6 percent of yearly firearm deaths involving children were unintentional. Gunshot homicides among young children often occurred in multi-victim events and involved a close partner or a family conflict whereas older children more often died in the context of crime and violence. The presence of an active shooter was the most common circumstance surrounding unintentional homicides, the report added.
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