exploring the financial & public health costs associated with gun violence in schools kirsten...
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EXPLORING THE FINANCIAL & PUBLIC HEALTH COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH GUN VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLSKirsten Hutzell
Ajima Olaghere
Catherine Gallagher
George Mason University
American Society of Criminology
November 15, 2012
Background
Previous Work
Costs of adolescent firearm injuries
Gallagher et al., 2012
• We examined the costs and the relative stability of firearm injuries and deaths for 13-19 year-olds.
• Found an unexpected stability in firearm injuries and deaths, contrary to current crime declines
Costs of hospital-based medical care for firearm injuries and deaths for 13-19 year olds in the United States, 2005 (Gallagher et al., 2012)
Costs of hospital-based medical care for 13-19 year olds in the United States:
Type of injury Total in millions Average cost Total casesNon-fatal firearm injuries $92 $11,763 7,874
$77 (violence-related )
Fatal firearm injuries $16.4 $5871 2,818 died
$108.4
Non-fatal fall $328 $18,936 17,326
Fatal falls $1.58 $17,707 88 died
Firearm injury and death rates, per 100,000 13-19 year olds, 2001-2007 (Gallagher et al., 2012)
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 20070
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
injury rate
death rate
Current Aims
• Firearm death rates among children and adolescents are decreasing nationally, these figures remain considerably high compared with historical rates in the U.S. (Cheng et al., 2001; Fingerhut & Christoffel, 2002)
• Data from the National Crime Victimization Survey: School Crime Supplement 2009
• Results seek to highlight the:• likelihood of students to bring firearms to school• availability of firearms in schools• medical attention and costs associated with firearms in schools.
Preliminary Findings
Difficult to highlight prevalence of firearms and associated medical attention and costs:
• NCVS data alone insufficient
• Data does not support our inquiries:• Too few observations • Cannot test any assumptions about how previous work on
adolescent firearm injuries may extrapolate to the school setting
Appears reported school-based firearm injuries and fatalities are rare
Data Limitations
Aim
Examine: means of attack (all firearm related) and number of incidents
Means of attack
Weapon used (alt.)
Data
Firearm variables: very little cell count; students in 2009 did not report many firearms as a means of attack, given nearly the 9,000 incidents reported in 2009.
N %
Handgun 15 .2
Other gun 15 .2
Gun type unknown 15 .2
45 .6
Shot 57 .6
Shot at, missed 57 .6
Hit w/gun in hand 57 .6
1711.8
Previous Research – Robers et al., 2012
Current Study
• Out of 4,333 responses, 40 students reported bringing a gun to school or on school grounds
School safety measures & bringing a gun to school
Next StepsSystematic Review
• Public health• [School] crime and safety• Injuries and fatalities
Data integration• Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)• National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
School Survey on Crime and Safety
Data Needs• Need better data answer research questions related to school violence
and weapons (this echoes earlier research by Dahlberg, L.L., 1998: “need more research to fully understand the relationship between weapon carrying and violence better”– study about violence in schools.)
Questions? Feedback?
Kirsten Hutzell
Ajima Olaghere