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Firearms Deaths of Children

  1. Rates of Homicide, Suicide, and Firearm-Related Death Among Children�26 Industrialized Countries, MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), Vol. 46, No. 5, February 7, 1997, pp. 101-105.

    This report presents an analysis of the patterns of violent deaths among children (aged 14 years and under) in the United States in contrast to children in 25 other industrialized countries.

    Key Facts:

    • The overall firearm-related death rate among U.S. children aged 14 years and younger was nearly 12 times higher than among children in the other 25 industrialized countries combined.
    • The firearms homicide rate in the United States was nearly 16 times higher than that of the other 25 countries combined.

    • The firearms suicide rate was nearly 11 times higher than that of the other 25 countries combined.
    • The unintentional firearms death rate was 9 times higher than that of the other 25 countries combined.


  2. Accidental Firearm Fatalities Among New Mexico Children, John R. Martin, MD; David P. Sklar, MD, FACEP; et al, Annals of Emergency Medicine, Vol. 20, No. 1, January 1991, pp. 58-61.

    This study analyzes the 25 unintentional firearm deaths among children in New Mexico under the age of 15 years that occurred between the years 1984 and 1988.

    Key Facts:

    • Most cases occurred inside the home (22 cases or 88%).
    • Most cases involved handguns (56%).
    • Loaded firearms were readily accessible in 93% of all unintentional shootings.


  3. Kids Shooting Kids: Stories From Across the Nation of Unintentional Shootings Among Children and Youth, Violence Policy Center, Washington, DC, March 1997, 277 pages.

    A review by the Violence Policy Center of newspaper articles over nine months from across the nation describes the patterns of unintentional shootings among children and youths and examines public health research to explain them. More than 200 news clips of kids shooting kids broken out by state are included, as well as charts that rank rates of unintentional firearm-related deaths by state.

    This publication is $25.00, including shipping and handling. Call the Violence Policy Center at (202) 822-8200 or write to the VPC at 1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036. A copy of the VPC publications list will be included upon request.


  4. When Children Shoot Children: 88 Unintended Deaths in California, Garen J. Wintemute, MD, MPH; Stephen P. Teret, JD, MPH; et al, JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), Vol. 257, No. 22, June 12, 1987, pp. 3107-3109.

    This study describes the 88 unintentional firearm deaths occurring in California from 1977 through 1983, in which both the shooter and the victim were aged 14 years old or younger.

    Key Facts:

    • The most common scenario was of a child playing with a gun that had been stored loaded, unlocked, and out of view.
    • Handguns were used in 58% of the cases.



Where did you get that?

   Eight Publications Every
   Advocate Needs

   Firearms Violence - General
   Firearms Homicide
   Firearms Homicide and
   Domestic Violence
   Firearms Homicide in
   the Workplace
   Firearms Suicide
   Firearm Deaths of Children
   Nonfatal Firearm-Related Injuries
   Costs of Firearms Violence
   Firearms and Crime
   Firearms Ownership,
   Concealed Carrying,
   Self-Defense Use, and Gun
   Buy-Backs
   Analyses of Pro-Gun
   Self-Defense Studies
   The Gun Lobby - Firearms
   Industry and Organizations
   Licensed Dealers

   Marketing Firearms to
   Women and Youth

   Appendix One: Organizations
   and Agencies

   Appendix Two: Understanding
   and Using Statistics






All contents � 2000 Violence Policy Center