Association of Firearm Access, Use, and Victimization During Adolescence With Firearm Perpetration During Adulthood in a 16-Year Longitudinal Study of Youth Involved in the Juvenile Justice System

Abstract

Firearm-related violence is a serious public health problem in the US,¹ responsible for nearly 200 000 homicides from 2003 to 2018.² Despite declines in homicide rates over the past 3 decades,³ the proportion of homicides involving firearms is at an all-time high (72% in 2018).⁴ Although the public is justifiably horrified by the increasing frequency of mass shootings, the most common victims of interpersonal firearm violence in the US continue to be low-income urban populations.¹ African American individuals—especially male young adults—disproportionately experience firearm violence.^1,5