The #1 Danger to Kids and Teens
What’s the #1 killer of kids and teens in America? In 2020, CNN reports, guns became the leading cause of death for US children and teenagers, surpassing car accidents. As gun violence statistics mount, so does the negative impact of gun violence on mental health.
- In 2021, nearly 3,600 children died in gun incidents, accounting for nearly 19% of childhood deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s database.
- According to a KFF analysis, “in no other comparable country are firearms within the top four causes of mortality among children.”
- The shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville marks the 16th school shooting this year in grades K-12.
- It was the deadliest school shooting since Uvalde, Texas last year.
- There have been 130 mass shootings so far in 2023, the highest number of shootings recorded at this point in a decade, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.
With daily shootings in the news, gun violence is increasingly top of mind for young Americans, contributing to a decline in mental health.
Read the CNN article here.