This week's Why Social Science? post comes from researchers at the University of Connecticut and Johns Hopkins University to touch on the many ways social science offers insights into preventing and reducing the prevalence of gun-related violence.
By Jennifer Dineen, Ph.D. (University of Connecticut), Kerri Raissian, Ph.D. (University of Connecticut), and Cassandra Crifasi, Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins University)
America’s gun death rate is unacceptably high – it is well beyond that of any other developed country. In 2020, there were 45,222 gun related deaths, with 24,264 (54%) of those being suicides and 20,958 (46%) being homicides. Within America, gun violence is the leading cause of death for children (defined as persons being under the age of 18), and it is among the top 5 causes of death of those under the age of 44. These staggering statistics are why many social scientists have labeled American gun violence a “public health crisis”.
While these numbers are staggering and the loss of life profound, there is good news. Gun violence is preventable and, in particular, the tools from the social sciences can help us reduce and prevent gun violence. Social science offers a broad array of skills to inform solutions and each social science tool is necessary. Due to the enormity and complexity of gun violence, the many disciplines of social science must be used in conjunction with each other to effectively prevent gun violence.
Before thinking of solutions, we must first unpack the term “gun violence”. Gun violence is in our private homes and public spaces. In America, it cannot be avoided. It is community gun violence, which disproportionately occurs in our nation’s cities and disproportionately claims the lives of young men of color. It is suicide, which disproportionately claims the lives of older, white men – especially those living in rural areas. Gun violence is mass shootings, which even though this accounts for less than 1% of all gun violence, traumatizes our children and undermines our collective feelings of public safety. Gun violence occurs when a gun is negligently left behind and a child gains access, sometimes resulting in tragic outcomes. Gun violence is an officer involved shooting, which may include an officer being targeted in the line of duty or an officer using force inappropriately or illegally and killing someone. Gun violence is non-fatal gun injuries that often don’t make it into our statistics.
Fields such as public health and emergency medicine have contributed much to our understanding of how and who in America is impacted by gun violence, but the sheer pervasiveness of gun injury and death is why we need the social sciences to truly address this crisis. The social sciences can help inform policymakers and practitioners committed to reducing gun violence by documenting its scope, providing understanding on why such violence occurs, discovering and measuring solutions, implementing those solutions, and communicating those solutions.