Rupal Ramesh Shah: This serious issue demands action, including tougher restrictions on firearms and better crisis management
Rupal Ramesh Shah examines the intersection of public health and social justice in this periodic column she writes for Street Roots. Shah has a master’s degree in microbiology from Clemson University and a master’s degree in public health from Boston University. She has previously worked at Harvard University’s School of Public Health in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, as a tuberculosis research assistant and laboratory manager. She has also worked at Boston Children’s Hospital as a quality improvement specialist. She has extensive experience in global health. Currently she serves as the executive director of Konbit Sante, an organization that supports the development of health systems in Haiti.
Approximately 40,000 people die each year from gun-related injuries in the U.S., according to data from the Pew Research Center. That includes gun murders and suicides, as well as those that were unintentional or involved law enforcement or whose circumstances could not be determined.
Additionally, both gun murders and gun suicides have gone up in recent years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted. During this time frame, active-shooter incidents have also become more common in the United States.
Gun violence is a public health issue because people are dying from guns or are terrorized by them, said Frank H. Farley, a Temple University professor who is an expert in psychology and human behavior. Heavy media coverage of gun deaths can increase fear, which in turn severely restricts one’s quality of life and well-being. Additionally, victims of gun violence suffer from chronic and long-term health issues.
“Gun violence is not an isolated issue because the entire public is affected by it,” said Farley, a former president and active member of the American Psychological Association. “Since it is a public health problem, the larger society has a role to play in terms of advocating for this issue.”
The public has the ability to influence legislation in a democracy, he said, and hence, we should make that a collective priority.
From a psychologist’s viewpoint, he said, “human behavior is never due to one thing. Sometimes things are random. While in many sciences including psychology, we can often attribute cause and effect, in human behavior, chance can play a role at times.”
Farley added that we haven’t been able to figure out with certainty why most mass shooters kill because often they die at their own hands or at the hands of police. Unfortunately, revenge can also result from mass shootings. There should be recognition that this is a widespread issue, and all agencies that could be involved should be involved.
Joel Dvoskin is a clinical and forensic psychologist. He previously served on the APA Policy Task Force on Reducing Gun Violence. He has had experience working closely with police departments to train them on intervention strategies to prevent harm.
“When police respond to social and domestic violence calls,” Dvoskin said, “they should first remove the guns in the setting. Such tactics, while simple, can reduce the number of gun deaths in households.”
Dvoskin believes that gun violence has always existed in this country. However, there is now more coverage in the media, so we are more aware of it. At the same time, he said, anger and rage seem to have increased within our communities, and the control of them isn’t managed well. Dvoskin said we should invest in crisis response and management within our communities. As we pay attention to people’s mental health needs, we may be able to reduce the rate of gun deaths.
Ernest Coverson, manager of the End Gun Violence Campaign at Amnesty International, said the number of mass shootings is even higher than what is portrayed in the media. Therefore, their group is hosting a campaign in which they work with partner organizations to end gun violence through legislation at the state and federal levels. An example at the state legislative level is to work with leaders to advocate for funding to be provided to communities of color throughout the nation. This is very much in line with the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, in which federal grants would be awarded to communities that experience 20 or more homicides a year.
Amnesty International also works at the state level to defeat laws such as the Stand Your Ground law. Amnesty International does not want to promote such a law, Coverson said, because it gives untrained people the authority to use deadly force. They do not encourage taking the law into one’s own hands and have data to show that such a law does nothing to deter the actual crime.
“Gun violence is a crisis,” he said. “Furthermore, there are other issues that those who experience gun violence face such as chronic health care challenges and mental health issues. Due to the ongoing increase in gun deaths, the health care system is constantly having to cope and adjust to it. Eventually, it drains our health care system.”
One step to prevent gun violence would be to conduct thorough background checks on those who buy firearms, Coverson said. Currently, the rules of gun ownership are lax. Another step is to work in communities where there may be a potential for high gun violence. By working in those communities, we are breaking the cycle of violence and setting a different standard.
Devin L. Hughes developed GVPedia, a website that presents facts and data related to gun violence, in 2017. The site consists of research and peer-reviewed publications that are translated for the public.
In 2019, GVPedia hosted a nationwide conference in Denver. During that conference, the attendees — which included researchers, activists and survivors of gun-violence — developed a road map on how to reduce gun violence. That accord has been signed by over 50 organizations as a commitment to take this issue seriously.
Hughes said that while 2-5% of suicide attempts involve firearms, guns account for half of all completed suicides.
The issue, Hughes said, is that 60% of Americans believe that they are safer with guns. For them, firearms are the solution to prevent violence. However, in reality, it is quite the opposite. “It is a myth that firearms make people safer,” Hughes said.
From a topline analysis of more than 16 studies, firearms in the home double the risk of homicide and triple the risk of suicide. For that reason, those who own guns should have proper training. Additionally, firearms in the home should be locked up.
The current evidence shows that firearms don’t make people safer and that well-enforced gun laws save lives, according to GVPedia.
Gun violence remains a serious public health issue. Countries similar to the United States, such as Canada, have stricter gun laws. We need to implement such measures if we want to tackle the issue of gun violence head on.
While several strategies have been outlined in this piece to address gun violence, one key issue is to ensure people have the social support they need to handle emotional or mental health challenges. That will prevent people from turning to violence or guns as a solution.
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