Prevention of Firearms Death and Injury among Youth

1
Prevention of Firearms Death and Injury among
Youth
2
Overview

• Background
• Problem Firearms and Youth
• Risk Factors
• Stakeholder Roles
• Tools
• Next Steps

3
Approach

• to develop community based tools which can be
  used to support implementation of the firearms
  law in Quebec
• focus on vulnerable groups
• intervention models - for urban and rural
  contexts.

4
Firearm death

• Public health experts view firearm death like
  disease
• firearm death has common cause
• availability and use of firearms

5
Firearms and Youth

• suicide
• injury and accidental death
• family violence
• young offenders taxing, gang activity

6
Objectives

• Understand youth suicide and victimisation with
  firearms
• The Problem
• The Risk factors
• Interventions
• Implementation issues
• Evaluation

7
ProblemMisconceptions

• Some misconceptions are that
• Only criminals, gangs misuse firearms
• Problem is handguns not rifles and shotguns
• Homicide is major cause of death with firearms
  (not suicide)

8
PROBLEMSuicide

• CANADA
• Suicide in Canada 3760 per year
• Second leading cause of death in 15-24 year olds
• Firearms are the most common instrument for
  males (25)

9
Suicide Quebec

• 1300 suicides, 1/3 of total in Canada
• 2nd highest rate in world
• 1/3 of suicides with firearms - most common is
  .22 rifle
• males, youth and elderly at risk
• particular problem in rural areas
• first nations in Quebec high risk group

10
Suicide - Youth

• Leading cause of death of 15-24 year olds in
  Quebec
• annual average firearm suicides for youth
• Canada -155 (rate is 3.56)
• Quebec- 46 (rate is 4.49)

11
Problem Family Violence

• 30 of spousal murders are with firearms
• 50 of teens killed in family violence with
  firearms
• 80 are legally owned firearms
• presence of firearms in violent families tool
  of intimidation
• escalation of violence into murder increases with
  firearms
• effect on children of violence future victims,
  aggressors

12
Youth Victimisation

• Canada 23 victims of crime 15-24 year old (11
  of population)
• Youth is largest group of victims of violent
  crime in Montreal
• bullying and victimisation can lead to victims
  becoming violent with guns (Taber, Alberta
  Colombine, CSDM incidents)

13
Youth Offenders and Gangs

• Montreal Gang gun violence (1997 - 4 murders, 11
  attempted murders)
• firearms play role in escalation of intimidation
  and violence
• certain Montreal schools find guns or replicas
  monthly

14
Risk Factors Suicide- General

• Personal Predisposition
• (Previous suicidal behaviour, mental disorders,
  substance abuse
• Social environment (lack of social network,
  unemployment, physical or sexual abuse)
• Life event (death, illness, humiliating events,
  interpersonal problems)

15
Risk Factors Youth Suicide

• Personal Predisposition - poor adaptation,
  learning difficulties, impulsivity previous
  suicidal behaviour, mental disorders, difficulty
  with sexual orientation,chronic difficulty with
  peer relations
• Social environment (lack of social network,
  mental disorders in family, unemployment,
  physical or sexual abuse, neglect)
• Life event (death, divorce, rejection of parents,
  substance use, academic failure, pressure,
  interpersonal problems)

16
Risk Factors Youth Violence

• (previous points)
• aggression, anti-social behaviour
• family violence
• poor parenting lack of emotional interaction,
  lack of parental supervision, inconsistant, harsh
  discipline
• impulsivity, desire for power, imitative

17
Lethality Model
Factors Affecting the Frequency of Violent Events
Incidence of Violence
Injury Outcomes
Factors Affecting the Severity of Violent
Incidents GUNS
18
Links to firearm access

• Risk of suicide in urban homes with guns 5x
  increase
• Risk of homicide in urban homes with guns 3x
  increase
• Regional variations in Canada
• BUT in Quebec decline in firearm suicides not
  reflected in overall decline

19
Youth Access to Guns

• Home is where majority of gun death and accidents
  take place
• 24 of Quebec homes have guns
• 33 guns not safely stored
• long gunshunters in family
• hand guns illegal or restricted weapon (ie
  children of police, military)

20
STAKEHOLDER ROLES

• For law to be effective, need community
  participation in implementation
• Must understand Risks
• Must take Preventative Action- voluntary removal
  of firearms counselling legal interventions
• Must raise general community awareness of problem
  and solutions

21
Target Audiences

• Parents and families understand the risks and
  take appropriate action
• Health care professionals know the signs,
  provide counselling, intervene
• Guidance Counsellors and teachers know the
  signs, provide counselling, intervene
• Social workers, youth workers know the risks,
  intervene
• Police identify risks, intervene
• Communities-report potential problem

22
School Intervention-Example

• Identify at risk youth (violence or suicide)
• Routinely query parents of troubled youth re
  access to guns at home or elsewhere (family
  members, friends, neighbours)
• Suggest gun be removed temporarily

23
OPPORTUNITY AREAS

• Increase awareness of suicide, violence risks and
  firearms data and trend analysis (fact-based
  decisions and interventions)
• Integration of firearms into other suicide,
  violence prevention and community strategies
• Taking preventative action - clear procedures
  when in doubt say no

24
Ask a Question, Save a Life

• Do you have access to a gun?
• Does your (suicidal) son\daughter have access to
  a gun?
• Does the person who threatens you have access to
  a gun?
• Does the person who threatens your mother have
  access to a gun?

25
Success Stories

• Licensing process improves risk assessment and
  includes hotline
• Decline in reported suicides with firearms
  1990-1999 in Quebec (but increase in suicide
  overall)
• Decline in firearms death across Canada with
  increased gun control

26
Best Practice Examples

• Batshaw Children and Family services implementing
  screening for firearms in domestic violence calls
  and for suicidal youth in their care
• Centres de Jeunesse, Services Psycho-sociaux are
  also looking at adding specific question reguns
• Montreal Childrens Crisis Team- screening for
  firearms

27
Best Practices

• ShelterNet, Federation des ressources
  dhébergement pour femmes violentées includes
  screening for guns in their new guide
• Quebec provincial strategy on suicide recognizes
  firearms issues
• Educational efforts already underway (eg. Lac
  Ste. Jean)
• Romeo Dallaire who suffers from depression and
  PST asked police to take his firearms

28
Best Practices- Policing

• Increased Awareness, improved procedures
• Appropriate enforcement of safe storage
• Safe storage of police firearms
• Police called to suicide attempts routinely query
  presence of firearms
• Reporting and record keeping to support licensing
  and revocation
• Procedures determine presence of guns when risk
  is identified

29
NEXT STEPS

• Suggestions- what works in your organisation
• Are there current initiatives - programs,
  interventions for school professionals where guns
  could be included
• Resource materials
• Contacts