Crossroads Q&A on gun safety
http://www.crossroads.nsc.org/articleTemplate.cfm?id=90&subjectID=5
By Alan Hoskin
Manager, Research and Statistics, National Safety Council
May 2000
Q. Of all accidental injuries/deaths, what percent are caused by accidental gunshot? Also, what percent of childhood injuries/deaths are caused by gunshot?
A. There is a lot of confusion about the number of deaths and injuries associated with firearms; especially with regard to children. This is true in part because various writers do not define what
they mean by "children," i.e., what age range they include. It is also sometimes not made clear whether the writer is including unintentional injuries, suicide, homicide, or all three.
The National Safety Council analyzed the most recent death certificate data (1997), and found that there were 95,644 total unintentional-injury deaths of which 981 (1.0%) were due to unintentional
firearms injuries. For children under 5 years old, there were 20 unintentional firearms deaths which accounted for 0.7% of all unintentional-injury deaths in that age group. Among those 5 to 9 years
old, there were 28 unintentional firearms deaths; 1.8% of all unintentional-injury deaths. For 10 to 14 year olds, 94 unintentional firearms deaths were 5.1% of total unintentional-injury deaths. And
for older teens, 15-19 years old, there were 164 unintentional firearms deaths; 2.5% of all unintentional-injury deaths.
Data on nonfatal injuries associated with firearms is somewhat more difficult to obtain. A 1995 study by Annest, Mercy, Gibson and Ryan found that for each unintentional firearms death there
were about 12.8 nonfatal injuries. For homicides the ratio was about 3.3 nonfatal injuries per death and for suicides about 0.3 nonfatal injuries per death. Another study by Sinauer, Annest and
Mercy (1996) estimated 34,485 persons were treated for unintentional, nonfatal firearm-related injuries in US emergency departments during the two-year period June 1, 1992, through May 31,
1994. They estimated that 2,906 (8.4%) of these cases involved children 0 to 14 years old.
It is also informative to note how firearms-related deaths are distributed by intentionality. Total firearms deaths in 1997 numbered 32,166 (excluding 270 legal intervention deaths). Of this total,
only 981, or 3.0%, were unintentional (accidental); 54.6% (17,566) were suicide and 41.2% (13,252) were homicide. Another 367 deaths were categorized as "undetermined intent" which means that
the coroner or medical examiner could not determine whether the death was homicide, suicide, or unintentional.
References
Annest, J.L., Mercy, J.A., Gibson, D.R., & Ryan, G.W. (1995). National estimates of nonfatal firearms-related injuries. Journal of the American Medical Association, 273(22), 1749-1754.
Sinauer, N., Annest, J.L., & Mercy, J.A. (1996). Unintentional, nonfatal firearm-related injuries: A preventable public health burden. Journal of the American Medical Association, 275(22),
1740-1743.
http://www.crossroads.nsc.org/articleTemplate.cfm?id=90&subjectID=5
By Alan Hoskin
Manager, Research and Statistics, National Safety Council
May 2000
Q. Of all accidental injuries/deaths, what percent are caused by accidental gunshot? Also, what percent of childhood injuries/deaths are caused by gunshot?
A. There is a lot of confusion about the number of deaths and injuries associated with firearms; especially with regard to children. This is true in part because various writers do not define what
they mean by "children," i.e., what age range they include. It is also sometimes not made clear whether the writer is including unintentional injuries, suicide, homicide, or all three.
The National Safety Council analyzed the most recent death certificate data (1997), and found that there were 95,644 total unintentional-injury deaths of which 981 (1.0%) were due to unintentional
firearms injuries. For children under 5 years old, there were 20 unintentional firearms deaths which accounted for 0.7% of all unintentional-injury deaths in that age group. Among those 5 to 9 years
old, there were 28 unintentional firearms deaths; 1.8% of all unintentional-injury deaths. For 10 to 14 year olds, 94 unintentional firearms deaths were 5.1% of total unintentional-injury deaths. And
for older teens, 15-19 years old, there were 164 unintentional firearms deaths; 2.5% of all unintentional-injury deaths.
Data on nonfatal injuries associated with firearms is somewhat more difficult to obtain. A 1995 study by Annest, Mercy, Gibson and Ryan found that for each unintentional firearms death there
were about 12.8 nonfatal injuries. For homicides the ratio was about 3.3 nonfatal injuries per death and for suicides about 0.3 nonfatal injuries per death. Another study by Sinauer, Annest and
Mercy (1996) estimated 34,485 persons were treated for unintentional, nonfatal firearm-related injuries in US emergency departments during the two-year period June 1, 1992, through May 31,
1994. They estimated that 2,906 (8.4%) of these cases involved children 0 to 14 years old.
It is also informative to note how firearms-related deaths are distributed by intentionality. Total firearms deaths in 1997 numbered 32,166 (excluding 270 legal intervention deaths). Of this total,
only 981, or 3.0%, were unintentional (accidental); 54.6% (17,566) were suicide and 41.2% (13,252) were homicide. Another 367 deaths were categorized as "undetermined intent" which means that
the coroner or medical examiner could not determine whether the death was homicide, suicide, or unintentional.
References
Annest, J.L., Mercy, J.A., Gibson, D.R., & Ryan, G.W. (1995). National estimates of nonfatal firearms-related injuries. Journal of the American Medical Association, 273(22), 1749-1754.
Sinauer, N., Annest, J.L., & Mercy, J.A. (1996). Unintentional, nonfatal firearm-related injuries: A preventable public health burden. Journal of the American Medical Association, 275(22),
1740-1743.