Health
Strict Gun Laws Aren’t Enough to Protect Children at High Risk of Violence
- Guns have become leading cause of death for US children, teens
- Some communities need solutions that go beyond regulations
A child picks up a handgun in Houston, Texas.
Photographer: Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Kids living in high-risk neighborhoods are disproportionately affected by gun violence, even in states with relatively strict firearm regulations, according to a study.
Death rates from gunshots among young people were 11 times higher in “socially vulnerable” communities compared to those in low-risk areas, according to research published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The authors used data tracking US communities’ vulnerability to public-health emergencies to determine which were at risk.