LA Times Science Now recently covered a study that surveyed children between the ages of 2 and 17 to examine the links between exposure to weapons-related violence and symptoms of trauma among children. It found that the more dangerous the weapons and the more frequent the exposure, the greater the negative outcomes are likely to be for the child. And simply witnessing an incident can be just as traumatic as being directly threatened, particularly if the victim is related to the witness.
The article quotes a researcher who concluded that exposure to weapons-related violence is more responsible for childhood trauma such as depression, anxiety and aggression, than any other bad things going on in young people’s lives. This is a major public health issue that should not be taken lightly. Weapons-related violence doesn’t just endanger a child in that moment, it threatens the mental and emotional well-being of the child for years to come and we have to remember this when making decisions regarding firearms and violence.
Weapons exposure linked to trauma symptoms in U.S. kids, study says: http://lat.ms/1H87g3a via @latimes h/t @First_Focus #InvestInKids
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