Gun Violence Prevention

Health and mental health care providers can contribute to gun violence prevention, especially among the youth. According to Ariel A Williamson, Nancy G. Guerra, and W. Douglas Tynan (2014:93), “Across settings, health and mental health care providers can prevent youth gun violence by assessing for youth risk factors and by providing basic counseling and education about gun safety to children, youth, and their families.” Research portrayed declining numbers of youth gun violence when children were educated about gun safety (Williamson et al. 2014). Health care providers can also conduct mental health screenings on children who may be at greater risk for gun violence. When children visit the doctor’s office for counseling or education, it is

Giffords is the founder of a gun-violence prevention group named “Americans for Responsible Solutions” (Wheaton 2015). According to Wheaton (2015), “Advocates including Giffords have pressed Obama to take new executive actions to tighten curbs on gun sales, in particular a move to require some small-scale gun sellers to get a dealers license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and conduct more background checks.” Gifford is a strong advocate for solutions to gun-violence, particularly because she was shot in the head in 2011. Therefore, Gifford is pushing for stricter gun control laws. Since the 1990’s the firearm homicide rate declined, and many believe that is because the access to firearms are more difficult now than before. According to "Reducing Gun Deaths In The USA" (2000:1367), “But the evidence also suggests that, at least in terms of firearm deaths and injuries, efforts to reduce the availability of handguns have had a major effect.” However, to this day it is still easy to obtain a FOID card and a concealed carry permit. With that being said, if more federal gun-control laws went into effect, the outcome may positively influence the amount of gun violence we see today in