Citation

Hunter AA, Schwab-Reese L, DiVietro S, Green C. Inj. Prev. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/ip-2022-044733

PMID

36863855

Abstract

Firearms are a leading cause of paediatric mortality in the United States. This study examines the contributing factors of racial disparity and disproportionality among paediatric firearm decedents aged 0-17 years.We used the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) to assess the individual and incident-level circumstances of paediatric firearm homicides from 2014 to 2018 in 17 US states.Among 1085 paediatric firearm homicides, non-Hispanic blacks (NHB) died at a rate three times greater than their proportion in the general population; they were nine times as likely to die by firearm homicide as non-Hispanic whites (NHW). NHW children were more often the victims of firearm homicide perpetrated by a parent/caregiver, and of homicide-suicides.Violence interruption programmes among NHB youth, and family-based interventions among NHW youth may be effective in preventing firearm homicide and homicide-suicide. Systematic investigations into firearm homicide perpetrators are necessary to better understand observed racial disparities.

Language: en

Keywords

Child; Epidemiology; Violence; Mortality; Firearm