
Far too many people die or are injured by firearm violence and suicide. Far too many loved ones receive a phone call or a text that changes their lives forever. But their days started out like any other–adults getting ready for work and students heading to school–and in an instant, turned to tragedy.
Trends in Violence and Disparities
- In 2021, there were 47,286 firearm homicides and suicides in the United States – that is an average of nearly 130 deaths every day – and the numbers have been increasing. There were 6,544 more firearm homicides and 2,387 more firearm suicides in 2021 than just two years earlier in 2019.
- Some groups have higher rates than others. Firearm homicide rates are highest among teens and young adults and among Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Hispanic or Latino populations. Firearm suicide rates are highest among older adults and among American Indian or Alaska Native and non-Hispanic White populations.
- While the reasons for increasing rates and disparities are complex, several explanations have been proposed. Racism and longstanding inequities (e.g., in economic, educational, housing, and employment opportunities) contribute to disparities. Many social and economic stressors worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly within some racial and ethnic communities.
Impacts on Youth and Schools
Violence has far-reaching impacts on youth and the school environment. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are preventable, potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood. These include experiencing or witnessing violence in the home. They also include aspects of a child’s environment that can undermine their sense of safety, stability, and bonding. Experiencing ACEs can have physical, behavioral, and mental health effects in both the short-term and long-term for youth and their families.
A recent report on ACEs found:
- Nearly 3 out of 4 students experienced at least one recent ACE during the pandemic, such as emotional abuse or food insecurity.
- Students who experienced more ACEs during the pandemic were more likely to report poor mental health and to have attempted suicide in the past year than those who experienced no recent ACEs.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Violence, firearm injuries and deaths, and ACEs are preventable. A comprehensive approach to preventing violence in communities is key, and school communities – parents, teachers, staff, and administrators – have an important role to play in prevention.
Role of School and Community Leaders in Prevention
CDC has released a range of prevention resources, including resources to help enhance school connectedness and prevent youth violence, community violence, ACEs, and suicide. These resources summarize the best available evidence for prevention. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also has resources for families addressing childhood adversity and teen suicide prevention.
Here are 4 examples of strategies and programs that are specific to schools:
- Child Parent Centers and Early Head Start. These programs create opportunities to support parents and engage them in their child’s academic development.
- Middle– and high school–based programs. Programs that are implemented in classrooms can enhance communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, empathy, and impulse control. They have shown substantial benefits, including reductions in violence.
- After-school programs. After-school programs address key risk and protective factors for youth violence. They help to provide supervision during critical times of the day when youth crime and violence peak. These programs also provide tutoring and homework assistance, formal skill-based programming, and structured learning activities to promote future success.
- Safe routes home from school. Programs providing students safe routes to and from school place highly visible community members along these routes to monitor and assist with students’ safe travel.
These are just a few examples. Many incidents of violence in school start outside of school, and a comprehensive approach in communities is important to enhance safety inside and outside of school.
While it is not reasonable to expect schools to solve the violence problem on their own, schools are an important part of the solution to violence. Parents, teachers and the school community can take action to prevent firearm violence and ACEs.
By Dr. Thomas Simon, Senior Director for Scientific Program, Division of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Lois Lee, Chair of the Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention, American Academy of Pediatrics
Dr. Simon and Dr. Lee joined National PTA President Anna King for a conversation on what parents need to know about ACEs, the impact of gun violence on school communities, and preventative actions school and community leaders can take to provide a safe and welcoming school environment for all children. Watch the recording at PTA.org/GunViolencePrevention.