Gun Deaths among US Children and Teens Rose 50% in Two Years

[Occams Barber]

6 April 2023

Gun Deaths among US Children and Teens Rose 50% in Two Years

This is a summary of a Pew Research Centre article, dated April 2023, based on child gun mortality data from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC). Gun deaths includes homicides, suicides and accidental death directly attributed to firearms. 'Child' refers to 17 and under.

• In 2019, 1,732 US children and teens under 18 were killed by gun. In 2021 this increased to 2,590
• This means the death rate (deaths per 100,000) rose 46% from 2.4 in 2019 to 3.5 in 2021
• The 2021 number and rate are the highest since 1999 when child data first became available. 2021 was also a record year for gun deaths among Americans of all ages and a 23% increase on 2019
• 32% of child gun deaths were suicides while 60% were homicide. This compares to 55% suicide and 42% homicide for 18+ adults
• 5% of child deaths were accidental
• In 2020 there were an estimated, record 11,000+ child (under 18) emergency room visits for gunshot wounds
• Boys accounted for 83% of 2021 child gun deaths
• 86% of gun deaths were aged 12 to 17; 7% were 6 to 11 and another 7% were aged 5 and under
• 36% of 12 to 17 y.o. deaths were suicide while 34% of 12 and under deaths were accidental
• 46% of all child gun deaths were Black children; 32% White children; 17% Hispanic; and 1% Asian
• In 2021 84% of deaths involving Black children were homicides while 9% were suicide
• For White children, 66% were suicide and 24% homicide

The article also covers parental concerns by ethnicity, income, urban/rural residence and political persuasion.
Gun deaths among U.S. kids rose 50% from 2019 to 2021 | Pew Research Center

OB

 

[Desk trauma]

Clearly acceptable losses.

 

[Brihaha]

Yet Americans accept these childrens' deaths while protecting their guns. Skewed priorities in my view. It is child sacrifice in the 21st century. We could demand guns be well regulated in America per our constitution. Yet obstinance persists. Skewed priorities. I wonder how soon we'll see an American leader cry to the masses like Kim Jung Un, pleading for Americans to have more babies to sacrifice?

It is interesting to note how 66% of white childrens' deaths were suicide while 84% of the black kids' deaths were homicide.

 

[iluvatar5150]

OP's data only covers 2019-2021; I'd be interested to see what the latest data shows. AFAIK, murders spiked quite a bit during covid, but are trending downward since last year. Here in Baltimore, we're on track to have fewer than 300 murders for the first time since 2014.

 

[DW_in_AR]

We could demand guns be well regulated in America per our constitution

That's not what the Constitution says.

 

[dogs4thewin]

View attachment 340149
6 April 2023

Gun Deaths among US Children and Teens Rose 50% in Two Years

This is a summary of a Pew Research Centre article, dated April 2023, based on child gun mortality data from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC). Gun deaths includes homicides, suicides and accidental death directly attributed to firearms. 'Child' refers to 17 and under.

• In 2019, 1,732 US children and teens under 18 were killed by gun. In 2021 this increased to 2,590
• This means the death rate (deaths per 100,00) rose 46% from 2.4 in 2019 to 3.5 in 2021
• The 2021 number and rate are the highest since 1999 when child data first became available. 2021 was also a record year for gun deaths among Americans of all ages and a 23% increase on 2019
• 32% of child gun deaths were suicides while 60% were homicide. This compares to 55% suicide and 42% homicide for 18+ adults
• 5% of child deaths were accidental
• In 2020 there were an estimated, record 11,000+ child (under 18) emergency room visits for gunshot wounds
• Boys accounted for 83% of 2021 child gun deaths
• 86% of gun deaths were aged 12 to 17; 7% were 6 to 11 and another 7% were aged 5 and under
• 36% of 12 to 17 y.o. deaths were suicide while 34% of 12 and under deaths were accidental
• 46% of all child gun deaths were Black children; 32% White children; 17% Hispanic; and 1% Asian
• In 2021 84% of deaths involving Black children were homicides while 9% were suicide
• For White children, 66% were suicide and 24% homicide

The article also covers parental concerns by ethnicity, income, urban/rural residence and political persuasion.
Gun deaths among U.S. kids rose 50% from 2019 to 2021 | Pew Research Center

OB

How many of those homicides involved other crimes? In other words, how many of those homicides were basically random or a single act. as opposed to gang activity? Additionally, how many of those homicides were committed with guns where some adult directly provided the gun to a minor ( whether the adult knew the minor's intent or not ( also how many of those minors were killed by other minors ( taking out the adults who are banned from having guns and only focusing on the minors who in most cases are not even allowed to have guns ( particularly unsupervised Also, which TYPES of guns were used this is important because it is ironic how much people want to ban "assault weapons" and yet very few deaths are caused by them most are by hand guns ( which already have some of the strictest regulations. Sounds to me if anything people are looking to target the wrong guns.


Taking the children out of it for a minute and focusing on total gun deaths for this example to show why types are important.

Suppose there are 1,100 people now you can EITHER save 1,000 of those people over the course of a year OR you could save 100 people over the course of a day; which would make more sense?

In this example the assault weapons that people so want to ban are the 100 people killed in a single day ( because such weapons do usually allow for more death at one time though there is more than one round in a handgun. The 1,000 people are the people that are killed by handguns over the course of a year. There is also the issue of just like any issues with gun deaths the cat is too far out of the bag for much of anything to have much impact for several years.

 

[Say it aint so]

The big issue at yesterdays GOP debate, Gender affirming and girl's sports.

 

[Desk trauma]

The big issue at yesterdays GOP debate, Gender affirming and girl's sports.

Infinitely more important then trifling issues, like mass shootings, that we have accepted as a part of the American landscape.

 

[Desk trauma]

Suppose there are 1,100 people now you can EITHER save 1,000 of those people over the course of a year OR you could save 100 people over the course of a day; which would make more sense?

Neither, any number is acceptable to protect our sacred guns.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Yet Americans accept these childrens' deaths while protecting their guns. Skewed priorities in my view. It is child sacrifice in the 21st century. We could demand guns be well regulated in America per our constitution. Yet obstinance persists. Skewed priorities. I wonder how soon we'll see an American leader cry to the masses like Kim Jung Un, pleading for Americans to have more babies to sacrifice?

It is interesting to note how 66% of white childrens' deaths were suicide while 84% of the black kids' deaths were homicide.

Yes, that would be interesting to note what that tells me is that black children tend to be involved in more violent crime according to those stats. That is not at all meant to be racist, but those numbers show that less than one in five black children who died by guns did so by their own hand. Meanwhile two in three white children that died by the same means. I find that to be very interesting that there is that much of a gap in suicide vs homicide because that is comparing apples to apples that is different than simply saying more black children died overall; which admittedly those numbers also show, but the gap in how many of those deaths were by someone else's hand is far more interesting

 

[Occams Barber]

OP's data only covers 2019-2021; I'd be interested to see what the latest data shows. AFAIK, murders spiked quite a bit during covid, but are trending downward since last year. Here in Baltimore, we're on track to have fewer than 300 murders for the first time since 2014.

I haven't found any 2022 data. I assume it isn't yet generally available.

The graph below suggests a broad upward trend starting in 2015.

https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/USA/united-states/murder-homicide-rate

 

[RileyG]

Heartbreaking.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Alright extremist, I'm a gun owner I guess that means I support homicide!

Nobody said that.

 

[InChristAlone525]

Nobody said that.

Yet Americans accept these childrens' deaths while protecting their guns.

 

[Tinker Grey]

"Americans" is an average. You are an individual and not necessarily average. Would you give up your gun as part of a society that thought giving guns up would save lives?

 

[InChristAlone525]

"Americans" is an average. You are an individual and not necessarily average. Would you give up your gun as part of a society that thought giving guns up would save lives?

No. We are responsible gun owners. They are locked up. I appreciate the people who refuse to stand down due to deranged people. America is not like other countries we have a two huge open borders. They will never get rid of all guns even if they wanted to. It always makes me laugh when people want to take guns from law abiding citizens leaving them in the hands of criminals.

Which house do you think a criminal would want to break into? One they know has guns or one they know doesn't?

 

[linux.poet]

I honestly think the trend is due to the rise in suicides and black minority unrest during Covid. Now people are worried about the illegal migrant problem, so the numbers may remain high.

I think this has less to do with guns and more to do with trauma and depression.

 

[Tinker Grey]

No. We are responsible gun owners.

So you would protect your guns even if everyone said that was the wrong choice?

No need to reply.

 

[Occams Barber]

No. We are responsible gun owners. They are locked up. I appreciate the people who refuse to stand down due to deranged people. America is not like other countries we have a two huge open borders. They will never get rid of all guns even if they wanted to. It always makes me laugh when people want to take guns from law abiding citizens leaving them in the hands of criminals.

Which house do you think a criminal would want to break into? One they know has guns or one they know doesn't?

It always amuses me when Americans claim that guns are essential to their survival. It's a classic self-fulfilling prophesy.

It is entirely possible to live happily and safely in a society where guns are rarely seen and not available to the general public.

Come and visit Australia and see what I mean, but - leave your guns behind.


PS: European countries are surrounded by open borders as are African and South American countries. The US is not unique.

OB

 

[Tinker Grey]

It always amuses me when Americans claim that guns are essential to their survival. It's a classic self-fulfilling prophesy.

It is entirely possible to live happily and safely in a society where guns are rarely seen and not available to the general public.

Come and visit Australia and see what I mean, but - leave your guns behind.

OB

It's amusing isn't it (at least, if it weren't so sad). I'm an American citizen. I've been alive nearly 60 years. I've never owned a gun. I've never been in a situation where I wished I had one. You'd think that some think it's necessary would be an indictment on the USA.

(But, n.b., I'm an old privileged white dude.)