http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100524/ap_on_he_me/us_med_children_gun_deaths
CHICAGO – Children in the most rural areas of the United States are as likely to die by gunshot as kids in the biggest cities, a new analysis of nearly 24,000 deaths finds.
Not surprisingly, murders involving firearms are more common among city youth. But gun suicides and accidental fatal shootings level the score: They are more common among rural kids.
"This debunks the myth that firearm death is a big-city problem," said lead author Dr. Michael Nance of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "This is everybody's problem."
The findings were published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.
The researchers analyzed data on nearly 24,000 gun-related deaths among children 19 and younger from 1999 through 2006. That included about 15,000 homicides, about 7,000 suicides and about 1,400 accidental shootings for the eight-year period.
The researchers sorted them by county then compared the gun death rates for the most urban counties_ those with populations of 1 million or more, like Dallas County in Texas — and the most rural counties — the ones far from cities or with fewer than 2,500 people, like Powder River County in Montana. They found essentially the same rate, about 4 deaths per 100,000 children.
A previous analysis of adult deaths found similar patterns.
The new findings add important information to what's known about guns and kids, said Dr. Elizabeth Powell of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, who has conducted research on firearms in Chicago, but was not involved in the new study.
"Prevention strategies need to be targeted to youth in rural areas as well as urban areas," Powell said
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I find the timing of this report to be somewhat, ah, convenient for those who want to further restrict ownership of firearms especially with McDonald pending.
In addition they once again trot out the tired "19 year old child" routine. Most of these so-called "children" die by gunfire as a result of drug dealing, organized crime, gang activity and other criminal factors. A 16-19 year old predator with gang ties is hardly a child. Typical bait and switch; make people think of their 10 year old and then lump in gangsters who are old enough to vote and be sentenced to death.
As for the suicides, by their criteria they could very well include an 18 or 19 year old Soldier or Marine returning from down range who commits suicide due to PTSD or any other number of factors. Should those deaths be counted in the category of children? As a veteran, I certainly don't think so.
CHICAGO – Children in the most rural areas of the United States are as likely to die by gunshot as kids in the biggest cities, a new analysis of nearly 24,000 deaths finds.
Not surprisingly, murders involving firearms are more common among city youth. But gun suicides and accidental fatal shootings level the score: They are more common among rural kids.
"This debunks the myth that firearm death is a big-city problem," said lead author Dr. Michael Nance of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "This is everybody's problem."
The findings were published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.
The researchers analyzed data on nearly 24,000 gun-related deaths among children 19 and younger from 1999 through 2006. That included about 15,000 homicides, about 7,000 suicides and about 1,400 accidental shootings for the eight-year period.
The researchers sorted them by county then compared the gun death rates for the most urban counties_ those with populations of 1 million or more, like Dallas County in Texas — and the most rural counties — the ones far from cities or with fewer than 2,500 people, like Powder River County in Montana. They found essentially the same rate, about 4 deaths per 100,000 children.
A previous analysis of adult deaths found similar patterns.
The new findings add important information to what's known about guns and kids, said Dr. Elizabeth Powell of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, who has conducted research on firearms in Chicago, but was not involved in the new study.
"Prevention strategies need to be targeted to youth in rural areas as well as urban areas," Powell said
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I find the timing of this report to be somewhat, ah, convenient for those who want to further restrict ownership of firearms especially with McDonald pending.
In addition they once again trot out the tired "19 year old child" routine. Most of these so-called "children" die by gunfire as a result of drug dealing, organized crime, gang activity and other criminal factors. A 16-19 year old predator with gang ties is hardly a child. Typical bait and switch; make people think of their 10 year old and then lump in gangsters who are old enough to vote and be sentenced to death.
As for the suicides, by their criteria they could very well include an 18 or 19 year old Soldier or Marine returning from down range who commits suicide due to PTSD or any other number of factors. Should those deaths be counted in the category of children? As a veteran, I certainly don't think so.
