Why We Are Losing the War on Gun Violence in the United States

This edited collection of data and perspectives takes a fresh approach to gun violence prevention by addressing the question, “why are we losing the war on gun violence in America?” Although successes and failures in the prevention of gun violence are examined, it is a war we are losing, due to restrictions on research funding, entrenched historical perspectives, structural violence, and perhaps differing priorities or views on what is right or wrong. Gun violence is a public health crisis. It remains politicized and has been paralyzed with inaction. In the chapters, the authors write candidly about the challenges that have thwarted gun violence prevention, as well as highlight possible strategies for progress to save lives. Critical areas explored among the chapters include:* Gun Violence, Structural Violence, and Social Justice * School Shootings: Creating Safer Schools * Mental Illness and Gun Violence * Understanding the Political Divide in Gun Policy Support * The Second Amendment and the War on Guns * The Impact of Policy and Law Enforcement Strategies on Reducing Gun Violence in America * Youth Gun Violence Prevention Organizing * Smart Guns Don't Kill People With this compendium, the editors and authors hope to bridge the growing gap between groups or ideologies, and create common ground to discuss workable solutions. __Why We Are Losing the War on Gun Violence in the United States__ is essential reading for a broad audience including practitioners, academics, researchers, students, policy-makers, and other professionals in public health, behavioral sciences (including social work and psychology), social sciences, health sciences, public policy, political science, and law, as well as any readers interested in the path to decreasing gun violence in America. Front Matter ....Pages i-xvii Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 Scope of Firearm Injuries in the United States (Astrid Botty van den Bruele, Marie Crandall)....Pages 3-10 Gun Violence, Structural Violence, and Social Justice (Tanya Zakrison, Brian Williams, Marie Crandall)....Pages 11-14 Data on Gun Violence: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It? (Edward J. Sondik)....Pages 15-24 Front Matter ....Pages 25-25 Unintentional Firearm Injuries in Children (Peter Bendix)....Pages 27-32 School Shootings: Creating Safer Schools (Michele Kiely)....Pages 33-47 Intimate Partner Violence, Firearm Violence, and Human Rights in the United States (Jennifer Bronson)....Pages 49-61 Mental Illness and Gun Violence (Michael Jellinek)....Pages 63-69 Front Matter ....Pages 71-71 The Need for Safety and Beliefs About Guns (Gabrielle Pogge, Nikolette P. Lipsey, Joy E. Losee, James A. Shepperd)....Pages 73-88 Understanding the Political Divide in Gun Policy Support (Joy E. Losee, Gabrielle Pogge, Nikolette P. Lipsey, James A. Shepperd)....Pages 89-106 The Second Amendment and the War on Guns (Nelson Lund)....Pages 107-121 The History of Gun Law and the Second Amendment in the United States (Elisabeth J. Ryan)....Pages 123-136 Front Matter ....Pages 137-137 Public Health Approach to Gun Violence Prevention: Remove the Gun Handle (Woodie Kessel)....Pages 139-150 Combatting Gun Violence in Newark, New Jersey (Leigh S. Grossman, Todd R. Clear)....Pages 151-162 The Impact of Policy and Law Enforcement Strategies on Reducing Gun Violence in America (Jordan Costa, Anthony Azari)....Pages 163-172 Gun Buyback Programs in the United States (Sandra Carpenter, Kevin Borrup, Brendan T. Campbell)....Pages 173-186 Hospital-Based Violence Prevention Programs: From the Ground Up (Joseph B. Richardson Jr, Che Bullock)....Pages 187-221 Looking at the Second Amendment from the Tenth: Early Experiences with a State Gun Violence Research Center (Stephanie Bonne, Paul Boxer, Michael Gusmano, Elizabeth Sloan-Power, Michael Ostermann, Angela Centellas et al.)....Pages 223-232 Youth Gun Violence Prevention Organizing (Taylor King)....Pages 233-247 Smart Guns Don’t Kill People (Woodie Kessel)....Pages 249-254 Reducing the Incidence and Impact of Gun Violence Through Community Engagement (Erin G. Andrade, Jane M. Hayes, Ian Wood, Laurie J. Punch)....Pages 255-264 Front Matter ....Pages 265-265 Gun Violence and Barriers to Reparation in the United States: Scars of Survival (Aparna Sodhi, Sanhita Ambast, Anne Fitzgerald, Malavika Vartak)....Pages 267-281 Back Matter ....Pages 283-290