In the United States, almost 53 people are killed using firearms per day. (BBC News) This number is a startling display of the severity of gun violence in America, due in part to the lenient laws around storage of guns, which allow even children to access them easily. The current laws around gun storage have proven to be ineffective, as minors are often able to access guns belonging to their parents or other family members. The prospect of passing new laws that require safer storage of firearms is one worth considering because guns being less accessible would diminish the amount of gun violence in the country, and in turn improve children and teen’s mental health.
The important issue of safer storage of firearms affects this country because
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A study done in Syracuse NY showed that “elementary schools located in areas with high concentrations of gunshots had 50 percent lower test scores and higher rates of standardized test failure compared to elementary schools in areas with a low concentration of gunshots.” (everytownresearch.com) This is just one example of how children are affected by gun violence. Being in an environment where gun violence is frequent causes them to fear for the wellbeing of themselves and their family and friends. How this reflects in children’s behavior, like in these children’s test scores, can impact them mentally, decreasing student’s self-confidence and causing more stress as their academic performance later in life becomes more important to their general success. It was also stated that, “For people of all ages, having access to a gun increases the risk of death by suicide by three times.” (everytownresearch.com) Having access to a gun can fuel the unhealthy thoughts of people who are suicidal or struggle with depression. Simply by being there, the guns can also trigger unhealthy thoughts in the first place. Guns have a negative impact on all people’s mental health, and they are a harmful force that can be used to take a life too easily, with just the pull of a trigger. If there were stricter laws around the storage of guns, they would be harder to access and therefore become a less major factor in suicide deaths. The impact gun violence has, especially on children and teens mental health, is just one of the many reasons something needs to be done about the storage of