Guns are the Leading Cause of Death for Children and Teens in the U.S.
In 2021, nearly 3,600 children died from firearm violence, representing 19% of all childhood deaths. In 2022, there were nearly 650 mass shootings in the U.S., 51 of which took place at a school. With your help, we can all work together to put an end to these unnecessary acts of violence.
NAPNAP Statements
- NAPNAP Position Statement on Prevention of Firearm Violence and Injury in Children (2023)
- NAPNAP Official Statement Calling for Solutions to the Gun Violence Epidemic (2022)
- NAPNAP Official Statement Urging the Government to Address Gun Violence (2021)
NAPNAP Advocacy Resources
NAPNAP’s Child Health Policy Learning Collaborative on Gun Violence Prevention Policy (2022)
Free podcasts:
- Gun Violence Prevention Strategies: The Primary Care “Connection”
- Gun Safety as a Suicide Prevention Strategy: Community Outreach from the Emergency Department
- The Aftermath: Gun Violence as an Epidemic that Tears Through Communities and Across Generations
PedsCESM on-demand CE:
- Firearm Violence Panel: A Conversation with Pediatric APRN Experts, presented at the 2023 NAPNAP national conference.
- Information for Parents about Anxiety in Children and Teens
- Information for School-age Children and Teens about Stress and Anxiety
- Information for Parents on How to Help Your Child/Teen Cope with Stressful Events or Uncertainty
- Information for Helping Children, Teens and Their Families Cope with War and/or Terrorism
- Someone at School Has a Weapon. What Should I Do? (for Teens)
If you think that someone is bringing a weapon to school or threatening someone else’s life, it requires immediate attention. This article offers some tips on getting help. - Bullying/Violence (for Teens)
Get advice on everything from standing up to bullies to apologizing to someone if you were the bully. - Gun Safety (for Kids)
By now, you probably know what guns are and what can happen if they fall into the wrong hands. Find out how to protect yourself and how to learn about gun safety. - School Violence: What Students Can Do for Teens
When a tragedy happens, it’s natural to want to make sense of the situation. Find out what students can do.
- Stop the Bleed – The No. 1 cause of preventable death after an injury is bleeding. The American College of Surgeons Stop the Bleed campaign has trained more than 1 million people how to save a life by stopping the bleed.
- Giffords – Founded by Gabby Giffords, a former U.S. House Representative who survived an assassination attempt via firearm in 2011, Giffords is a movement to end gun violence in America by advocating for proven solutions to make the country safer.
- The Whitney/Strong Organization – Created by a survivor of the 2018 Fifth Third Bank headquarters shooting, the Whitney/Strong Organization is focused on responsible gun ownership and ending gun violence.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – The CDC’s firearm violence prevention strategy focuses on addressing the gaps in knowledge about the problem and ways to prevent it. Their website includes fast facts and funding opportunities.
- Prevention Institute – A non-profit focused on building prevention and health equity policies and action at the federal, state, local and organizational levels to ensure that all places where people live, work, play and learn foster health, safety, and well-being. Their website includes a comprehensive list of recommendations to prevent gun violence.
- American Academy of Pediatrics – The AAP’s website includes a gun violence prevention advocacy toolkit and additional resources for pediatric health providers.
- Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency – America’s cyber defense agency’s website includes resources to prepare you and your community in the event of an active shooter, with specific resources geared towards schools and houses of worship.
- Gun Violence Archive – The Gun Violence Archive is a database that tracks all mass shootings in America and includes sources, locations, statistics and more.
