title: Firearm deaths among children and youth.
abstract: Nationally, homicide and suicide are the 2nd and 3rd leading causes of death among children and youth under the age of 21. Sixteen to 19-year-olds now have the highest rate of handgun victimization among all age groups. The firearm suicide rate for White males is over 4 times higher than the rate for African American males, whereas the firearm homicide rate is over 9 times higher for African American males. Almost half of all deaths among African American male teenagers now involve firearms. Multiple steps, both short- and long-term, need to be taken to reduce firearm death rates among children and youth. Some of the possible methods to do so are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu 96822, USA.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005389:Firearms; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013405:Suicide; D014481:United States; D044465:White People