01/31/2025
The Center’s co-director Joshua M. Horwitz reviewed Cedric Dark’s new book, Under the Gun: An ER Doctor's Cure for America's Gun Epidemic, for Health Affairs.
“Dark does raise some other underreported challenges in gun policy. For one, he does touch on a subject that the gun violence prevention movement has not adequately addressed: the role of alcohol in driving violence.”
Read the full book review:
https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/public-health-prescription-could-help-curb-gun-violence-epidemic
01/31/2025
“In light of our findings, one avenue forward is to implement strategies that enhance police officer knowledge, skills, and competencies as they pertain to child and adolescent development,” says Dylan B. Jackson, PhD, MS, associate professor and lead author of the study. “In addition to adopting restrictive use-of-force policies, police departments should prioritize developmentally tailored, trauma-informed youth-interaction policies and training that can improve youth-police encounters.”
Learn more from the study findings:
Study Finds More Than 300 Juveniles Were Shot by Police Between 2015 and 2020, One-Third of Them Fatally | Center for Gun Violence Solutions
Study thought to be the first national accounting of both juvenile injuries and deaths from shootings by police in U.S.
01/30/2025
Daniel Webster, one of the nation's leading firearm policy experts, and distinguished research scholar at the Center tells ABC News, “gun part kits have created a huge backdoor that lets kids and criminals evade the law.” Watch:
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/crackdown-firearm-kits-curbing-ghost-guns/story?id=118236032
01/30/2025
A new study led by researchers at the Center found that 317 juveniles under age 18 were shot by police between 2015 and 2020, one-third of them fatally.
The findings underscore the critical need to identify + develop effective public health and policing strategies aimed at reducing the number of young people shot by law enforcement each year. Learn more:
Study Finds More Than 300 Juveniles Were Shot by Police Between 2015 and 2020, One-Third of Them Fatally | Center for Gun Violence Solutions
Study thought to be the first national accounting of both juvenile injuries and deaths from shootings by police in U.S.
01/27/2025
Strong firearm licensing laws save lives. These laws generally require:
🔹 Enhanced background check
🔹 Application to state or local law enforcement
🔹 Fingerprinting
🔹 Completion of fi****ms safety course
🔹 Waiting period
Go in-depth on firearm purchaser licensing laws:
In Depth-Firearm Purchaser Licensing | Center for Gun Violence Solutions
In Depth Firearm Purchaser Licensing What is Firearm Purchaser Licensing? Firearm Purchaser Licensing laws (also called permit-to-purchase) require an individual to apply for and obtain a license before purchasing a firearm. These laws help to prevent people with a history of violence, those at ris...
01/24/2025
"Requiring a license or permit to purchase a handgun reduces firearm homicides and su***des, as well as trafficking and shootings of law enforcement officers. It is one of the most effective policies we have to reduce gun violence."
Firearm Purchaser Licensing | Center for Gun Violence Solutions
Firearm Purchaser Licensing laws, or permit-to-purchase, are a complement to existing background check systems. They require prospective firearm purchasers to first obtain a license. These laws are associated with lower rates of diversions of fi****ms for use in crime, homicide, mass shootings, suic...
01/23/2025
A new study from researchers at our Center highlights the life-saving potential of Child Access Prevention (CAP) firearm storage laws.
The findings show states with CAP laws reduce youth gun su***des by up to 14%. These policies, which hold adults accountable for the safe storage of fi****ms, also lower rates of unintentional firearm injuries and homicides among youth.
With guns involved in nearly half of youth su***des, the evidence is clear: Safe storage is crucial to protecting young lives.
Read more about the findings here:
Findings Show Child Access Prevention (CAP) Firearm Storage Policies Reduce Youth Gun Su***de Rates | Center for Gun Violence Solutions
A new study found that the presence of child access prevention (CAP) firearm storage policies was associated with reductions in youth gun su***de rates.
01/22/2025
Register for the upcoming webinar, Blueprint for Safety: Crafting and Strengthening Effective Extreme Risk Protection Order Laws in Pennsylvania, on Thursday, February 6th at 10am ET. There will be a moderated Q&A session following the panel discussion. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect and learn! Register: https://act.ceasefirepa.org/a/blueprint-safety-crafting-and-strengthening-effective-extreme-risk-protection-order-laws-pa
01/21/2025
Nationally, adults overwhelmingly support firearm purchaser licensing laws regardless of gun ownership or political party affiliation.
In fact, 72% of Americans support requiring a person to obtain a license from a local law enforcement agency before buying a gun.https://publichealth.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/2024-05/v5-01007-policy-priority-fact-sheet-fpl-digital.pdf
01/17/2025
Firearm violence is a preventable public health tragedy affecting communities across the U.S. The rate of firearm violence varies significantly across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Explore each state's gun violence data:
State Gun Violence Data | Center for Gun Violence Solutions
State Gun Violence Data Firearm violence is a preventable public health tragedy affecting communities across the United States. However, the extent of the problem is largely dependent on the amount of fi****ms and strength of gun violence prevention policies in each state. As you explore the pages b...
01/13/2025
Last year, the Center advanced life-saving solutions and achieved significant impact. Read our list of 2024 accomplishments to see the progress that we will build on this year:
2024 Accomplishments | Center for Gun Violence Solutions
This year, the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions mobilized its team to conduct research and advocate for evidence-informed gun violence solutions.
01/10/2025
ERPOs represent a vital tool in preventing gun violence, allowing those closest to potential violence to stop it before it occurs.
The Center’s ERPO Model Policy Guide shares 58 recommendations covering 22 different aspects of the policy, offering a comprehensive framework for ERPO legislation.
Learn more from the guide:
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/2024-07/erpo-model-policy-guide-8202024.pdf
01/08/2025
48,204 lives were lost to gun violence in 2022. Due to their high lethality and availability, guns fuel our country’s high su***de and homicide rates. Four out of every five homicides and more than half of all su***des are by firearm.
Learn more: https://publichealth.jhu.edu/center-for-gun-violence-solutions/annual-firearm-violence-data
01/06/2025
Alcohol use and gun violence are leading causes of preventable injury and death in the United States, according to our report on alcohol use as a risk factor for gun violence.
One policy recommendation ➡️ Limit access to guns when and where alcohol is consumed.
Learn more from our report on alcohol misuse and gun violence:
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/2023-05/2023-may-cgvs-alcohol-misuse-and-gun-violence.pdf
01/06/2025
“Our findings reveal stark and alarming disparities in fatal police shootings that cannot be attributed to a single factor,” says Hossein Zare, lead author of the study. “Instead, they reflect the intersection of social vulnerability, race, and geography.”
Learn more from the findings:
New Research Shows Your ZIP Code Could Make You 27 times More Likely to be Fatally Shot by Police | Center for Gun Violence Solutions
A new study found that an individual’s ZIP code for their residence could indicate their risk of being fatally shot by police.
01/03/2025
An upcoming INQUIRY special collection is accepting submissions!
A Decade of ERPO: What does the evidence say about the use, effectiveness and opportunities for improving implementation + impact of this important firearm violence prevention tool?
Submit your paper to Sage for consideration to be featured in the special collection co-edited by our co-director, Joshua Horwitz and core faculty member, Shannon Frattaroli: https://journals.sagepub.com/topic/collections-inq/inq-1-a_decade_of_erpo_what_does_the_evidence_say_about_the_use?journalCode=inq
01/02/2025
Core faculty member at the Center, Vanya Jones, and Dean of Johns Hopkins University School of Education, Chris Morphew, co-authored a new book, “Creating Safe, Healthy, and Inclusive Schools: Challenges and Solutions.” The book outlines the obstacles to & most promising approaches for creating safe, healthy, and inclusive schools for all children—with an inclusion of reducing violence. Use the discount code: HTWN to purchase a copy of the book at a discounted price (30% off!).
A seminar with the authors will be held on Tuesday, January 28, 4–5pm at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to discuss creating safe and supportive schools. It will be followed by a reception. Register to attend the in-person seminar event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/health-as-a-driver-for-safe-schools-tickets-1090097012509?aff=oddtdtcreator