Gun-related deaths and suicides among American children and teens have risen to an all-time high, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Firearms have been the leading cause of death in children and teens since 2020, with the numbers on a steep incline since 2018, per the CDC’s WONDER database.
Meanwhile, suicides are up by 11 percent since the Covid-19 pandemic began in mid-2020. There were 11,078 child and teen suicides in 2021- more than any other year since 1999.
Gun related deaths accounted for a staggering 19 percent of childhood deaths in 2021, more than car accidents and cancer.
There were 2,279 firearm homicides of children and teens aged one to 18 in 2021 – double the number registered a decade prior, when there were 979. There were more child and teen gun deaths in 2021 than in any year since 1999.
Gun-related deaths and suicides among US children and teens have risen to an all-time high
Black children and teens were found to be most likely to be killed by a firearm. According to the data, they were six times more likely to die by firearm homicide than white children.
While 17 in 100,000 black children died by a firearm in 2021, about three in 100,000 white children and 1 in 100,000 Asian children were killed by a gun.
After black children and teens, American Indian or Alaska natives were most likely to die by firearm.
As many as 1,300 have been killed by a gun so far this year, as reported by CNN.
The number of young children who attempted suicide surged during the pandemic, with many turning to their parent’s medicine cabinet,, as previously reported by DailyMail.com.
The CDC reported earlier this year that the number of suicide attempts by poisoning among US kids increased 30 percent from 2019 to 2021.
Commonly used drugs included easily accessible over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, Advil and Benadryl. Anti-depressants such as Zoloft and Prozac were also used often.
Homicides of children also soared during the first year of the pandemic, becoming the leading cause of death among under-18s
The pandemic — and subsequent lockdowns and school closures — brought on a wave of mental health issues among the nation’s children.
A recent report found 90 percent of schools are reporting increases in behavioral issues as a result.
Last year, a study found that 90 percent of school administrators say their students are battling moderate or severe mental health challenges. The survey released by Effective School Solutions (ESS), which provides mental health support in schools, also found that 57 percent of the principals and other senior educators said the problem was getting worse.
Homicides of children also soared during the first year of the pandemic, becoming the leading cause of death among under-18s.
The steepest increases were among black children, and almost half were among children living in southern states.
Until 2020, auto accidents were the leading cause of premature death in children.
Content source – www.soundhealthandlastingwealth.com
