This week’s horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas prompted renewed calls for laws that promote gun safety in the U.S.
The standard script after mass shootings goes like this: Democrats make the case for passing more stringent policies about what types of firearms are available and who can own them; Republicans make the argument for Second Amendment rights because “guns don’t kill people; people kill people.”
But what does the evidence say?
There is a large body of data on policies and programs shown to prevent gun violence, and the vast majority of successful interventions take a public health approach to this deadly problem.
First, let’s take a look at the big picture: More than 45,000 people died from gun violence in 2020 (That’s the most recent year data are available). This represents a 25% increase from 2015 and a 43% increase from 2010.
Drilling down to specific states, the evidence is clear that the states with lower rates of gun deaths have the strongest gun violence prevention policies.
The five states with the lowest gun death rates (Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and New York) have two standard safety measures in place: a licensing system to make sure that people purchasing firearms are allowed to have them and an extreme risk protection order law, which temporarily prohibits people prone to violence (e.g., violent criminal offenders or those who have survived a suicide attempt) from purchasing a firearm.
Conversely, all five of the states with the highest rates of gun deaths (Mississippi, Louisiana, Wyoming, Missouri and Alabama) have “stand your ground” legislation, which allows citizens to use deadly force to defend themselves against crime. And three of these states (and since the study was conducted, a fourth), have laws which allow citizens to carry a concealed weapon in public without a permit.
While gun safety policies are one solution, working with individuals at risk of carrying out violence provides another clear path to saving lives. In 2013, the American Psychological Association took an evidence-based look at the motivations that drive people to commit acts of gun violence, and programs designed to prevent these tragedies.
At its core, the report found there are complex reasons that people resort to gun violence, which differ for every situation.
“For this reason, there is no single profile that can reliably predict who will use a gun in a violent act,” the authors wrote. But they find evidence that can help predict which individuals are most likely to commit acts of violence with firearms, and programs proven to prevent gun violence.
The most consistent and powerful predictor that someone will resort to gun violence is a history of violent behavior, the report found. Other than previous violence, gun violence is related to a combination of individual, family, school, peer, community, and social risk factors that interact over time during childhood and adolescence.
The report identified prevention programs found to reduce the likelihood that firearms will be introduced into conflicts. One successful program, called Behavioral Threat Assessment, relies on a team of people spread throughout an organization – such as a school or workplace – who work to identify suspicious, disruptive, or unusual behaviors, and then report these to law enforcement. Research finds this method is one of the most effective ways to prevent potential acts of gun violence in public spaces.
Males commit the most gun violence. The report suggested that psychologists need to develop programs that change male gender expectations of toughness, and violence. There are currently youth programs to help develop new social norms around what it means to be masculine, but additional studies are needed to assess whether these program help reduce the risk of violence among participants.
Most people suffering from a mental illness are not dangerous, the report found. For the few who become violent as a result of a mental health problem, medical treatment helps to prevent violence. But because most people with mental illnesses in the U.S. don’t receive adequate services, it is difficult to identify people who may be a potential threat. Offering more comprehensive mental health care regardless of insurance status is another avenue for reducing violence.
Policies that prevent high-risk groups from obtaining guns — including domestic violence offenders, people convicted of violent misdemeanor crimes, and people with mental illness and a history of violence —reduce violence, the report found. In addition, public health campaigns on safe gun storage can help reduce accidental gun deaths and prevent violent individuals from having access to guns.
The take-home message: There are evidence-based solutions to help prevent the senseless tragedies that result from gun violence. Although there is not one magic solution, the data show that a broad set of policies and programs would make a difference.
Speak Your Mind