In 2023, approximately 118 children in the United States have died from gunshots! The younger generation in the United States is deeply traumatized by gun violence, tormenting firearms | Learning | America
On June 9th, China Daily reported that Americans are currently in a quagmire of gun violence and rampant gun violence, and one of the most deeply affected groups is children and young people. Gun violence not only puts their personal safety in an extremely dangerous situation, but also has a significant negative impact on their mental health, which in turn affects their future.
According to an article published on the 8th by the American online news website Ark Valley Voice, the main cause of death for children and young people aged 19 and under in the United States is no longer childhood cancer, polio, poisoning, or car accidents, but has become guns, which is the first time in American history. More precisely, it should be the proliferation of firearms and gun culture, as well as tolerance for increasing violence.
Screenshot of Ark Valley Voice article on the US online news website
According to data from the Small Arms Survey based in Switzerland, by 2022, the number of privately owned firearms in the United States has reached an astonishing 393 million, with 120 guns per 100 people. This data is higher than any other country in the world. Therefore, against the backdrop of record high gun sales, the increase in gun violence in the United States is also expected.
According to data from the non-profit organization Gun Violence Archive, as of June 7, 2023, approximately 118 children in the United States have died from gunshots and 282 have been injured.
The article states that as time goes by, gun deaths are also on the rise. The question also arises, when will these numbers be enough to stimulate American leaders to take action to stop the frenzy of gun violence?
According to an article published on the website of Newsweek on the 8th, the number of children who suffered from gun violence every year in the United States had reached about 9 million before the COVID-19 epidemic. Moreover, black children are 4.44 times more likely to be exposed to gun violence than white children, and this gap will only worsen.
Screenshot of a review article on the website of Newsweek in the United States
The article criticizes that American politicians like to attribute the prevalence of gun violence to people's mental health issues, but this is a widely proven erroneous view. They blame everything except for the gun issue.
The article states that the prevalence of gun violence has exacerbated the mental health crisis of children and young people in the United States, which is another disease attached to the social disease of gun violence. Firearms are not only the main cause of death for children and adolescents in the United States, but if they are exposed to gun violence at a very young age, whether witnessing it or living in fear of violence every day, it can cause significant harm to their mental health.
The author of the article, Alicia Browning, wrote that as a young person, she has a firsthand experience of the trauma caused by gun violence, and the fear it brings has permeated every corner of her daily life, leaving her exhausted. She couldn't go to the movies with her family because she was very worried that she couldn't distinguish between the sound of fireworks and gunfire.
Browning's situation is not an exception. Witnessing gun violence can cause serious mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, leading to aggressive and destructive behavior. The learning and development of children and adolescents are therefore affected, making it difficult for them to keep up with the pace of school learning and cultivate key skills.
Research has shown that children who have persistent concerns about gun violence are more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and panic disorder six months after being affected. "This situation is inevitable in the United States, as many of us know at least one person affected by gun violence here," Browning wrote.
She believes that gun legislation can effectively address the proliferation of gun violence and the accompanying problems, but due to the stalemate in Congress, this approach seems difficult to implement.
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