Reduce gun carrying among adolescents — IVP‑12

Status: Target met or exceeded

  
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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

Target-Setting Method
Minimal statistical significance

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.