Introduction
Over 100 Americans are killed by gunshots every day, and almost 200 are seriously wounded. These fatalities are avoidable. A holistic strategy is required to combat the gun violence pandemic (Rajan et al., 2018). The public health approach involves decreasing and avoiding damage, sickness, and mortality, in an attempt to improve the population’s healthcare and well-being. It is accomplished via statistics, research, and pragmatic policies and procedures. A healthcare approach is a population-level strategy implemented to prevent violent gun crimes, tackle weapon availability, and emphasize the variables that discourage and protect against gun violence. This strategy brings entities and professionals from several fields together in a collaborative effort to establish and oversee the issue, discern the risk and mitigate variables, and create and test preventative measures. Finally, the strategy must guarantee that the beneficial techniques are widely implemented.
Expected Steps to Enact if a Public Health Approach to Firearm Violence is Adopted
It is vital to fund federal health bodies such as the CDC and NIH to research gun violence. Furthermore, government authorities should be given the power to regulate weapon manufacturers and assure gun safety (Education Fund to Stop Gun Violence, 2021). To get a license to possess a weapon, applicants must apply, submit to a background investigation, and complete safety training. To guarantee that guns are registered at all points of sale, the government should approve firearm registration legislation. Furthermore, the government should expand gun rules to encompass those at a high risk of violence. Manufacturers should make rifles safer by mandating the use of microstamping technology. Finally, the federal and state governments should impose stricter age restrictions for owning or carrying weapons.
Analysis of the Implementation of the Steps and Required Community Support
Enhancing Better Data Collection
National, state and public organizations should gather more complete statistics on gun violence, including deadly and nonfatal. Furthermore, the statistics should include shootings that did not result in bodily injuries and gun offenses that did not involve the firing of bullets, such as domestic violence and similar threats (Education Fund to Stop Gun Violence, 2021). Federal, state, and municipal governments should ensure the database is available to the public, primarily to academics researching gun crimes and their mitigation.
Promoting Credible Research Findings
To comprehend the magnitude and complexities of gun violence, scholars and lawmakers need credible data. There are several varieties of gun violence, yet each demands a unique set of preventative tactics (Education Fund to Stop Gun Violence, 2021). Improving public health treatments and results requires more research investment. Federal, state, and municipal governments, corporations, and universities should invest in research to reduce firearm violence.
Formulating Evidence-based Strategies and Practices
Gun violence assumes various approaches and is a multidimensional issue requiring several data-driven remedies. The public health approach prioritizes assuring that these methods are successful and promote equality (Decker et al., 2018). To guarantee that public health measures do not have unforeseen repercussions, lawmakers should consult oppressed populations during the implementation process. Gun – control measures, for example, should be assessed regularly to prevent marginalizing people suffering from mental illnesses or propagating the biased and racist practices ingrained in the justice department. As a result, gun safety policies and procedures must have an evidence-based perspective.
Conclusion
Strategies and procedures ought to be examined and assessed regularly to guarantee fair enactment and long-term effectiveness. Policymakers and practitioners must develop solutions that tackle the potential risks of gun violence (Decker et al., 2018). These treatments should be frequently assessed to ensure efficacy and equality, and thorough assessments should be regularly undertaken. Furthermore, community-based aggression treatment approaches should attempt to de-escalate confrontations. They can achieve this objective by breaking patterns of retaliatory reprisals and assisting people at high risk of violence.
References
Decker, M. R., Wilcox, H. C., Holliday, C. N., & Webster, D. W. (2018). An integrated public health approach to interpersonal violence and suicide prevention and response. Public Health Reports, 133.
Education Fund to Stop Gun Violence. (2021, April 5). Public health approach to gun violence prevention. The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence.
Rajan, S., Branas, C. C., Hargarten, S., & Allegrante, J. P. (2018). Funding for gun violence research is key to the health and safety of the nation. American journal of public health, 108(2), 194-195.