Toward a Deeper Understanding of Gun Violence

Abstract

Since the National Rifle Association’s statement that physicians should “stay in [our] lane” and avoid talking about gun violence, many doctors have been stirred to speak up. Using the hashtag “#thisisourlane,” doctors have publicly shared photographs of blood-stained scrubs and shoes, documenting our first-hand encounters with the tragedy of gun violence. We both spend part of our professional lives teaching other physicians and public health professionals about gun violence. One of our goals is to help doctors move beyond statistics and individual stories and toward a deeper understanding of the issues. Given that gun violence is the second leading cause of death of children and adolescents in the United States, accounting for 15% of all child deaths nationwide,1 pediatricians must join the public debate. Here, we discuss 3 concepts that help explain why we have the highest levels of gun violence among high-income countries2 and how we might begin fixing the problem. These 3 concepts can make pediatricians wanting to reduce gun violence more informed, effective advocates. When people are exposed to a gun, or even the image of a gun, some appear to act more aggressively, which is a phenomenon known as “the weapons effect.” An early demonstration of this, in 1967, placed research subjects around 2 different tables: on one table was badminton equipment, and on the other table were guns. The subjects were told that the objects had been left over from another experiment and that they should be ignored. Then the … Address correspondence to Nancy A. Dodson, MD, MPH, Division of Adolescent Medicine, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3415 Bainbridge Ave, Bronx, NY 10467. E-mail: ndodson{at}montefiore.org

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