STUDY: 1 in 4 youths who visit ER for assault injuries owns a gun

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http://www.nationofchange.org/study-1-4-youth-who-visit-er-assault-injuries-owns-gun-1373380522

Nearly one in four youth who end up in the emergency room with assault injuries own a gun, according to a new study of a medical center in Flint, Michigan released on Monday.

Twenty three percent of 14- to 24-year-olds who had sustained assault injuries reported they owned a firearm within the past six months, and 83 percent of them obtained that weapon illegally. Two-thirds of the gun-owners who landed in the emergency room had been injured by their peers, and 15 percent had suffered intimate partner violence.

The survey, conducted by University of Michigan at Ann Arbor researchers, found that gun possession among injured youth was correlated with higher socioeconomic status, substance abuse, and a recent history of aggressive conflict. Those not receiving public economic assistance were 51 percent more likely to possess firearms. While the injured youth surveyed were evenly divided by gender, 71 percent of those owning guns were male. Race and gang membership were not found to be significant factors.

The researchers emphasized the importance of tackling gun violence as part of an effort to improve the public health of youth, writing that “future prevention efforts should focus on minimizing illegal firearm access among high-risk youth, nonviolent alternatives to retaliatory violence, and substance use prevention.” Gun violence and firearm suicide kill thousands of children and youth every year.