Status: Target met or exceeded
Most Recent Data:
3.5
percent
(2021)
Target:
3.7
percent
Desired Direction:
Decrease desired
Baseline:
4.8
percent of students in grades 9 through 12 reported that they had carried a gun (excluding carrying guns only for hunting or for a sport such as target shooting) on at least 1 day in the past 12 months in 2017
Reduce gun carrying among adolescents
Summary
Adolescents who carry guns are more likely to be involved in a range of high-risk behaviors, like physical fighting, substance misuse, crime, and gang violence. In addition, most teen homicides involve a firearm, and access to a firearm is an important risk factor for adolescent suicides. Comprehensive violence prevention strategies and approaches that prevent high-risk behaviors, including gun carrying, can help reduce homicides and suicides among adolescents.
Topics: Violence Prevention, Adolescents
Workgroup: Injury and Violence Prevention Workgroup
