Violence as a Public Health Crisis

Violence, overall, has become a public health crisis. The three leading causes of death in the United States for people ages 15-34 are unintentional injury, suicide, and homicide [1]. These violent deaths are, more often than not, directly associated with firearms. The US has a homicide rate 7 times higher than other high-income countries, with homicides committed by firearms being 25 times higher than in other high-income countries [2].