NCJ Number
242342
Editor(s)
Alan I. Leshner,
Bruce M. Altevogt,
Arlene F. Lee,
Margaret A. McCoy,
Patrick W. Kelley
Date Published
June 2013
Length
124 pages
Annotation
At the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the CDC Foundation, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) collaborated with the National Research Council (NRC) in convening a committee of experts for the purpose of developing a potential research agenda on the public health aspects of firearm-related violence, with a focus on its causes, approaches to interventions that could prevent it, and strategies for minimizing its impact on public health. This document is the report of the committee.
Abstract
The report focuses on a research program that addresses the characteristics of firearm violence, risk and protective factors, interventions and strategies, gun safety technology, and the influence of video games and other media. Research on the characteristics of firearm violence will characterize the scope of and motivations for gun acquisition, ownership, and use, as well as how guns are distributed across sub-populations. This research is also expected to characterize differences in non-fatal and fatal gun use across the United States. Research on risk and protective factors will identify factors associated with accessing and carrying guns; evaluate the potential health risk and benefits of having a firearm in the home under a variety of circumstances; and improve understanding of risk factors that influence the probability of firearm violence in high-risk locations. Research on firearm violence prevention and other interventions will focus on potential perpetrators and victims of firearm violence, as well as interventions that address social, physical, and virtual environments. Research on the impact of gun safety technology will identify the effects of various technological approaches to reduce firearm-related injury and death, as well as examine past consumer experiences with accepting safety technologies. Research on video games and other media will examine the relationship between exposure to media violence and real-life violence. Extensive references and appended biographies of committee members