Introduction
Firearms violence is the most common cause of homicide and suicide (Wintemute, 2015). It is noted that some of the determinants of violence include emotional, social, and environmental factors. Various approaches can be utilized to stop gun violence. Nonetheless, a public health view to firearm violence would be best to implement as it can help embrace the prevention strategies since stakeholders would want to look beyond the immediate causes to the deeper social and environmental factors, basing policy on scientific research. This paper explores gun violence as a public health problem, steps to take if a public health perspective to gun violence was adopted, and how the various steps would be implemented and the community support needed.
Firearm Approach as a Public Health Issue
As noted, firearm violence is a leading cause of premature death. According to a study, 38,000 people die as a result of gun violence each year (Wintemute, 2015). At the same time, nearly 85,000 people get injured each year within the U.S. Globally, more than 250,000 deaths results due to firearm violence (Werbick et al., 2021). In addition, Werbick et al. (2021) state that 857 million firearms are in civilians’ hands, which increases the likelihood of gun violence. As the research body advances, the public health and healthcare stakeholders have shifted towards treating gun violence not only as a preventable issue but also akin to infectious ailments. It is seen that individuals most at risk to firearm violence have common exposures such as disease epidemics. More so, factors such as the environment and socio-economic statuses of people contributes to the firearm violence prevalence. With such knowledge, there is a need to implement public health interventions that can help decrease the prevalence of firearm violence.
Steps to take if a Public Health Initiative to Firearm Violence was adopted
Given that there are negative existing evidence of global health outcomes linked to gun violence, further energizing of a larger worldwide community of activists and developing momentum around a compelling narrative regarding health impacts & interventions should be established. An inter-disciplinary research effort regarding firearms would be imperative to develop effective solutions (Wernick et al., 2021).
The public health community focuses on policies that have a larger direct effect. Firearm violence policies make a part of these areas. A public health approach expands one’s understanding and informs new perspectives into proposals that can reduce suffering. Therefore, a second step would be to aid the public policy community advance the scope of governmental regulations. This way, to help minimize gun violence.
How the Steps would be Implemented & What Community Support would be Needed (Ex to support opinions)
The first step involves developing a multidisciplinary research effort. In this case, future research can include both direct and indirect health outcomes linked to firearm violence. Wernick et al. (2021) state that most focus is given to the direct health burden of firearm violence. Researchers can seek knowledge from people within communities to help with an understanding of how gun violence affects their other health aspects, such as their physical and mental health outcomes associated with factors like grief, medical care costs, and PTSD. Studying this issue through such a perspective can help inform valuable perspectives on the principle causes of gun violence and possible solutions.
As highlighted, the second step can involve helping the public policy population advance the scope of governmental regulations. In this case, the public health perspective concedes that criminal justice is an effective way that governments use to influence the levels of firearm violence. Broadening the range of governmental policies can include funding firearm-related studies and utilizing the governments’ purchasing power such as to provide markets for safer firearms. Success from other injury prevention areas has involved product standards that are crucial for eventual fire-safe cigarette legislation in all the U.S. states (Hemenway & Miller, 2019). To implement this step, an attempt to get the stakeholders to agree that there is a problem goes a long way. Also, to involve as many individuals and institutions both private and public. Similarly, make efforts in engaging non-governmental bodies to take beneficial actions. For instance, encourage and work with health facilities, survivor groups, and other groups such as universities to reduce gun violence.
In conclusion, this paper finds gun violence to be a major cause of mortality and disability within the global population. Although various approaches can be utilized to mitigate gun violence, a public health approach can help embrace the prevention strategies as the stakeholders involved would look beyond the immediate causes to the deeper social and environmental aspects, basing policy on scientific research. This paper found that an inter-disciplinary research effort regarding firearms would be requisite to develop effective solutions. Indeed, research can help inform both direct & indirect health-related outcomes linked to firearm violence through seeking knowledge from people within communities for more understanding of how gun violence affects their other health aspects. Similarly, advancing the range of governmental policies would help to better measures in regards to firearm violence. As noted, this can be successful through engaging individuals and stakeholders in the private and public sectors.
References
Hemenway, D., & Miller, M. (2019). Counterpoint: Reducing firearm violence—why a public health approach is helpful. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 38(3), 795-801.
Werbick, M., Bari, I., Paichadze, N., & Hyder, A. A. (2021). Firearm violence: a neglected “Global Health” issue. Globalization and health, 17(1), 1-5 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-021-00771-8
Wintemute, G. J. (2015). The epidemiology of firearm violence in the twenty-first century United States. Annual review of public health, 36, 5-19. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122535
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