Exposure to Gun Violence in Childhood

Gun violence is a growing public health crisis, with firearm-related fatalities rising to 62.5% from 2012 to 2022. Disparities exist with Black and Hispanic individuals, particularly with males and adolescents facing heightened risks. The 2024 Rhode Island Young Adult Survey recruited 1,008 young adults aged 18-25 years who lived in Rhode Island. Exposure to gun violence is disproportionately high among sexual and/or gender minorities (43.9%) and Hispanic youth (44.2%). Exposure to gun violence in childhood is associated with poor mental health outcomes and substance use disorders in adulthood. Those who were exposed to gun violence in childhood had higher odds of depression (AOR: 1.59[95%CI: 1.16, 2.19]), suicide ideation (AOR: 2.13 [95%CI: 1.41, 3.22]), alcohol use disorder (AOR: 2.98 [95%CI: 1.34, 6.54], and cannabis use disorder (AOR: 1.87 [95%CI: 1.22, 2.88], but not anxiety. These findings highlight the urgent need for evidence-based public health interventions to address the prevalence and associated risks of gun violence in vulnerable populations.