Prevention Institute has a new list of recommendations for actions you can take to prevent gun violence
Tomorrow, students and families will rally in Washington, DC and across the country and globe to protest Congress’ inaction on gun violence. March for Our Lives follows the February shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Students have created a movement to end gun violence with thousands walking out of their classrooms as part of the National School Walkout last week and plans for a National Day of Action Against Gun Violence in Schools on April 20.
We are listening to young people who are speaking truth to power, and in addition to supporting the students and their demands that Congress pass legislation to keep us safe from gun violence, there are many actions we can all take. We have renewed hope that, together, we can prevent gun violence—not just in the case of mass shootings but also in the case of domestic violence, suicide, community violence, and violence involving law enforcement that claims more than 30,000 lives in the U.S.
Through a public health approach that draws from evidence and addresses the factors that increase or decrease the risk of gun violence, particularly in communities that are disproportionately impacted, we can save lives.
Today, Prevention Institute releases a new list of recommendations for preventing gun violence. We strongly support broad engagement of community members, including young people and other survivors of gun violence, policymakers, and others, in insisting that schools as well as places of worship, shopping malls, movie theaters, concerts, workplaces, homes, and neighborhoods are safe from multiple forms of gun violence.
Summary of Recommendations
Gun safety: reduce the imminent risk of lethality through sensible gun laws and a culture of safety.
1. Sensible gun laws: Reduce easy access to dangerous weapons.
2. Establish a culture of gun safety:
a. Reduce firearm access to youth and individuals who are at risk of harming themselves or others.
b. Hold the gun industry accountable and ensure there is adequate oversight over the marketing and sales of guns and ammunition.
c. Engage responsible gun dealers and owners in solutions.
d. Insist on mandatory training and licensing for owners.
e. Require safe and secure gun storage.
Underlying contributors to gun violence: systematically reduce risks and increase resilience in individuals, families, and communities
3. Public health solutions: Recognize gun violence as a critical and preventable public health problem.
4. Comprehensive solutions: Support community planning and implementation of comprehensive community safety plans that include prevention and intervention.
5. Trauma, connection, and services: Expand access to high quality, culturally competent, coordinated, social, emotional, and mental health supports and address the impact of trauma.
Prevention Infrastructure: ensure effectiveness and sustainability of efforts
6. Unshackle the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Restore the CDC's freedom to study this issue and provide science-based guidance.
7. Health system: Establish a comprehensive health system in which violence prevention is a health system responsibility and imperative.
New Frontiers: continue to learn, innovate, and increase impact through research and practice
8. Community healing: Prevent community trauma.
9. Mental health and wellbeing: Invest in communities to promote resilience and mental health and wellbeing.
10. Support healthy norms about masculinity: Explore the pathways between harmful norms that have been about maintaining power and privilege and gun violence.
11. Impulsive anger: Explore the linkages between anger and gun violence.
12. Economic development: Reduce concentrated disadvantage and invest in employment opportunities.
13. Law enforcement violence: Establish accountability among sworn officers and private security.
14. Technology: Advance gun safety and self-defense technology.
Click here to read full descriptions of these recommendations.
Listening to young people speak truth to power after the school shooting in Florida, we have renewed hope that, together, we can prevent gun violence.
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