Prevalence of Youth Firearm Violence Victimization, Perpetration, and the Overlap by Demographic Characteristics

• In Event: Growing Up With Guns: Findings from a Nationally Representative Survey of Youth and Young Adults

Abstract

Firearm violence (FV) continues to be a major public health problem in the U.S. Firearms are the second leading cause of death among youth and adolescents. NORC at the University of Chicago and the University of New Hampshire are conducting the first nationally representative study on youth FV in the U.S. A total of 5,311 youth and young adults 10-34 years old were surveyed online using the AmeriSpeak panel between September 2023 and January 2024. Univariate analyses yielded population-based estimates of FV exposures and multivariate regression models were run to explore subgroup differences in FV exposures. Overall, 14% of participants reported past year gun carrying (among them 78% reported for protection), 9.5% reported lifetime FV victimization, 3.3% reported lifetime FV perpetration, and 6.3% had ever thought of hurting themselves with a gun. Of those who perpetrated FV, 45% were also victims of FV. Covariates consistently associated with outcomes included age, ethnicity, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, income, and indirect FV exposure. Our results suggest considerable exposure of young persons to various forms of firearm risk and violence with significant subgroup differences. Educators and policymakers may build on these results, in aggregate and for subgroups, to develop prevention interventions.

Authors

• Bruce Taylor, NORC at the University of Chicago

• Kimberly Mitchell, University of New Hampshire

• Heather Turner, University of New Hampshire

• Jackie Sheridan-Johnson, NORC at the University of Chicago

• Victoria Banyard, Rutgers University

• Weiwei Liu, NORC at the University of Chicago

• Elizabeth Mumford, NORC at the University of Chicago

• Caroline Lancaster, NORC at the University of Chicago

• Veronica Pletsch, NORC at the University of Chicago