Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have released a first-of-its kind study looking at the toll of gunshot injuries among children – and the findings are grim. Among them:
- Over nine years more than 75,000 children in the U.S. were sent to the emergency room as a result of firearm injury, averaging to more than 8,300 kids per year.
- Associated charges of these injuries totaled $2.5 billion.
- The average age of a child presenting firearm injuries in emergency departments was 14.8.
The study, which looked at firearm injuries and associated charges seen in emergency rooms from 2006 to 2014, adds to a growing body of knowledge about the heavy toll of gun violence on American children and teenagers: Gun violence is now the second leading cause of death for American children, and it disproportionately impacts black children and teens, who are 4 times more likely than white children and teens to be killed with guns. An estimated 3 million American children witness gun violence every year.
Coming the week before midterm elections, the findings of the Johns Hopkins study offer a new look at the scope of gun violence in the U.S. – and they underscore the importance of electing leaders committed to addressing it. For more information about American gun violence and the toll it takes on children and teenagers, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
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