Contemporary society faces a number of problems that deteriorate the quality of people’s lives and result in the emergence of even more complex concerns. Gun violence belongs to this cohort as there is a tendency towards the increase in the number of crimes involving the use of arms. In accordance with the relevant statistics, gun violence is the central cause of premature death in the US (APHA, n.d.b). About 38,000 individuals are killed, and 85,000 are injured (APHA, n.d.a). The problem is complicated by the fact that about 40% of Americans report that they have at least one gun in their house (APHA, n.d.a).
Populations Affected
All populations, regardless of their age, social status, or race face the problem of gun violence; however, there is credible evidence that young adults, males, and ethnic minorities are more subjected to it. In accordance with the statistics, 47 children and teens are shot every day in fights, murders, and other conflicts (Wallace, 2017). At the same time, among non-Hispanic whites aged 15-24, homicide is the fourth leading cause of death (APHA, n.d.b). For non-Hispanic blacks, gun violence and homicide becomes the leading cause (APHA, n.d.b). It is also one of the most commonly used weapons to commit suicide among various groups (Wallace, 2017).
National Breadth
The statistics prove that the problem has acquired the national character. In the recent reports, all states in the USA have an undesirably high level of gun violence (Wallace, 2017). These ratings differ regarding the historical background preconditioning the spread of arms and the tendency towards the use of it (Huff, Barnhart, McAlexander, & McAlexander, 2017). However, there is no use denying the fact that the nationwide breadth of the topic becomes a significant threat to contemporary society and results in a significant decrease in the quality of people’s lives and their safety. At the same time, there is a need for effective intervention to solve the problem in the state.
The majority of modern healthcare agencies and authorities are concerned about the growing rates of gun violence. Numerous cases of multiple shootings, such as in California, trigger public debates regarding the need for an appropriate intervention to improve the situation in the sphere and prevent the emergence of new accidents in the future (Huff et al., 2017). The government also shows its anxiety about the topic by trying to find the best possible way to avoid the further deterioration of the situation and suggest measures that will become an effective intervention.
Problem Statement
In such a way, the main problem regarding gun violence is the introduction of an effective solution to limit the access to arms for populations belonging to the risk group, introduce appropriate regulations that can reduce the incidence, and preserve the health of the nation at the high level. The given issue becomes central to the public health system and should be devoted much attention to ensure that an effective approach is promoted. At the same time, the tradition of gun possession is deeply rooted in the culture of individuals, which means that some opposition to the suggested measures can emerge (Hargarten, Christiansen, & Jentzen, 2013). That is why it is critical to find a compromise satisfying all parties.
Solutions
Solutions to the given problem might include the following steps:
- First, better surveillance should be introduced. It is critical to monitor the use of firearms, all accidents related to this issue, and populations affected, as it will help to create more effective strategies.
- Second, more effective gun policies are demanded. There is a need for clinical and criminal background checks for all purchases of guns to ensure that individuals with the appropriate mental health and status are provided with the lethal weapon (APHA, n.d.b). These regulations should also be applied to online shops.
- Third, community and school prevention programs should be introduced to improve the situation in the sphere and attain better results by reducing the number of people who use firearms to solve their problems or commit some acts of violence.
Stakeholders
The implementation of these measures demands the active participation of the main stakeholders that can help to improve the situation. These include:
The government is the most potent tool to introduce appropriate regulations and policies
Federal and state agencies to implement new strategies, limit access to guns, and improve surveillance practices
Healthcare sector agencies to improve the health of the nation
School officials to work with teens
The engagement of all these stakeholders can be considered a guarantee of the successful implementation of the proposed strategy and positive alterations regarding the outlined problem.
Funding
At the same time, there is a demand for significant funding to implement all possible regulations. Thus, gun violence costs about $229 billion for the USA annually (Wallace, 2017). In such a way, investing a third part of this sum into the proposed policies, a significant reduction of spending along with the improvement of the situation can be achieved.
Impact on the Healthcare Sector
For the healthcare sector, it will mean a significant improvement in the quality of people’s lives because of the reduction in the number of injured people. At the same time, deaths among premature individuals or psychological problems associated with gun violence can also be solved.
References
APHA. (n.d.a). Gun violence. Web.
APHA. (n.d.b). Preventing gun violence. Web.
Hargarten, S. W., Christiansen, A., & Jentzen, J. M. (2013). Addressing the burden of gun violence. Academic Forensic Pathology, 3(2), 260–263. Web.
Huff, A. D., Barnhart, M., McAlexander, B., & McAlexander, J. (2017). Addressing the wicked problem of American gun violence: Consumer interest groups as macro-social marketers. Journal of Macromarketing, 37(4), 393–408. Web.
Wallace, L. N. (2017). Armed kids, armed adults? Weapon carrying from adolescence to adulthood. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 15(1), 84–98. Web.