A new study co-authored by a New Mexico State University researcher found that firearms deaths involving preschool-aged children 5 years old and younger in the United States increased at an alarmingly high rate over the past decade. But a separate study by the same researcher found that state laws may help curb shooting deaths among young children.
The studies were a collaboration between Jagdish Khubchandani, professor of public health sciences at NMSU, and James H. Price, professor emeritus of health education and public health at the University of Toledo.
The first study, published in the Journal of Community Health, tracked changes in firearm mortality trends in preschool children in the United States from 2010 to 2020. It shows that a total of 1,220 children were shot and killed during that period. It also shows that the population of preschool children declined by about 4%, but firearm death rates in this group increased by about 75%.
About 66% of all firearm deaths in preschool children were homicides, 30% were unintentional deaths and 4% were undetermined, the study shows. Homicides caused the most firearm deaths among non-Hispanic white children (61%), non-Hispanic Black children (65%) and Hispanic children (81%).
“The data indicates that the worsening epidemic of firearm violence is not just limited to youth and adults, it is also affecting very young children,” Khubchandani said. “Our findings show that since the past decade, we have been losing almost 10 children every month due to firearm injuries. To prevent this problem, we will need intersectoral approaches with participation from families, health care providers and policymakers.”
About two-thirds of the shooting deaths involved male children, who also accounted for most of the firearm homicides and unintentional firearm deaths during the study period, the study shows. More than half of the shooting deaths involving children occurred in the South, followed by the Midwest (24%), West (17%) and Northeast (6%).
“Unfortunately, in recent years, the majority of firearm-related deaths have been observed among preschool children of color or racial/ethnic minorities,” Khubchandani said.
In previous studies, Khubchandani and his collaborators found that the rates of firearm deaths have consistently increased in youth across the nation and that firearm sales in the U.S. reached an all-time high during the pandemic.
“Firearms are among the top causes of death for American children now,” he said, “and no other industrialized nation has such high rates of firearm deaths.”
In the second study, the researchers compared firearm death rates among Black children under 19 years old, based on whether they lived in a state that had a child access prevention, or CAP, law. These laws have been proposed as a strategy to prevent children from accessing firearms. States with the strongest laws impose criminal liability, while the states with the weakest laws only prohibit individuals from providing firearms to children.
The study shows that between 2015 and 2019, a total of 6,778 non-Hispanic Black youths died because of firearm violence. The leading causes were homicides (86%) and suicides (9%).
Next, the researchers analyzed data on state CAP laws, the average Black poverty rate, the average number of federal firearm licensees, total firearm deaths among non-Hispanic Black youths, and firearm mortality rates per 100,000 individuals among non-Hispanic Black youths.
States with no CAP laws or weak laws had statistically significantly higher non-Hispanic Black youth firearm mortality rates compared to states with strong CAP laws, the study shows. It also shows that states without a CAP law were about five times more likely to have a higher non-Hispanic Black youth firearm mortality rate than the national average. Poverty was also a significant predictor of rates of Black youth firearm mortality.
“Our analysis was limited to one group of youth but shows promise of state laws in helping reduce youth firearm deaths,” Khubchandani said. “Adults have a major role to play in ensuring safer households, and law enforcement and policymakers must ensure that all should be done to make communities safer.”