Gun violence and its impact on children, teens and communities is an urgent health crisis.
Firearm injuries are the leading cause of death for children and teens ages 1-17 in America—and have been for three consecutive years.
Most gun deaths in the United States are suicides, followed by homicides. In fact, homicides were the most common type of gun death among children and teens at 66%, followed by suicides at 27%.
Each day, eight kids are injured or killed because of unintentional shootings.
While the issue is complex, and tackling it can feel challenging, we have more in common than we think.
One thing that everyone can agree on is that firearms shouldn't be the leading cause of death for children and teens in this country and that we all have a role to play to protect them from the impact of gun violence.
“Firearms injury is the number one leading cause of mortality for people under 18,” said Ann Thomas, MD, pediatric hospitalist with Endeavor Health. “There are 4.6 million kids who live in a home with an unsecured gun. Only 30 percent of homes with guns store them safely. There’s a gap in awareness of safety and the dangers of having guns in the home.”
Fact: The U.S. is the only high-income country in which guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens.
“I have seen the devastating consequences of gun violence on children and their families,” said Dr. Thomas.
Protecting children from injuries or death from firearms needs to be a priority.
Practicing gun safety at home
Endeavor Health emergency room physicians currently screen every patient for gun safety at home. And believe it or not, the question is well-received by both gun owners and non-owners alike.
“It’s all about safety, the same way we’d ask if you have a car seat or smoke detectors at home. We ask whether there are any guns in the home and if so, how they’re stored,” Dr. Thomas said.
Through a partnership with the Cook County Sheriff’s Department, physicians at Endeavor Health hospitals also have gun locks they hand out to gun owners who say they don’t have their firearms secured. When both firearms and ammunition are stored securely, children are 78% less likely to experience self-inflicted firearm injuries and 85% less likely to suffer unintentional firearm injuries.
"We would not discharge a newborn baby without knowing if they’d be safe in the car with a car seat. This is the same thing,” said Ramon Solhkhah, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist with Endeavor Health. “Speaking with people in a morally neutral tone helps break down a barrier. This works for medical personnel and can work for parents and caregivers as well."
One study estimated that if half of households with unlocked guns switched to locking them, one third of youth gun suicides and unintentional deaths could be prevented.
Starting the conversation
Some parents may hesitate to broach the subject with their child’s friend’s parents. And yet, their child’s safety away from home is crucial.
Including gun safety as a routine question before a playdate can help ensure your child is safe at someone else’s home.
“Parents can frame it as a safety precaution. ‘Thanks so much for having my child over to your house. FYI, she’s allergic to peanuts, and if you have any firearms would you mind locking them up while she’s there?’” Dr. Thomas said. “Sometimes asking people directly if they have a gun can put them on the defensive.”
The same normalizing approach can be used with potentially suicidal people who may own guns or live with accessible firearms.
Attempting suicide with a firearm is fatal 90% of the time, Dr. Thomas said. It’s important to remove access to guns when someone is in crisis.
“Taking the firearms out of the home is the best practice in this situation. You can say it’s temporary, just for now until you’re feeling better,” Dr. Thomas said.
Talking about suicide in a calm, thoughtful way will not trigger people to act. It can reduce that person’s distress and lower their risk of following through on suicidal thoughts. Learn how to help someone in a crisis.
Endeavor Health supports the Agree to Agree campaign, a gun violence prevention initiative led by the Ad Council that aims to help decrease the impact of gun related tragedies on children and teens in America. The campaign focuses on finding common ground and normalizing conversations about gun safety.
Agreetoagree.org offers conversation guides and other resources to help prevent gun injuries and encourage safe storage.
Taking collective action
Preventing gun violence requires more than just locking up firearms. It needs to be addressed at the root.
Communities grappling with poverty, limited educational access, and high unemployment often experience higher rates of gun violence.
Mental health matters as well. While mental illness accounts for a minority of firearm-related incidents, certain untreated disorders, especially those involving psychosis, can elevate risk. It's also important to recognize that most individuals with mental health conditions are not violent.
Health is investing in the long-term wellbeing of our communities and supporting partnerships through our Community Investment Fund (CIF) that address food insecurity, homelessness, and workforce development. These efforts tackle the social and economic conditions that often contribute to violence, helping build safer, healthier communities.
We’re also focused on helping victims of violence.
“Endeavor to Heal,” a project Dr. Solhkhah is involved with as principal investigator, supports high-risk patients over age 16 who are victims of violence and are seen at Endeavor Health Evanston, Highland Park or Swedish Hospitals. Patients are connected with peer navigators, offered through CIF partner ONE Northside, who serve as a bridge between the hospitals and community.
Firearm injury and mortality is a public health issue — and our youth deserve our collective protection and action.
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