Gun Violence
Jonathan Bivens & Joshua Turner
Published: May 22, 2014
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) defines intentional homicide as acts in which the perpetrator intended to cause death or serious injury by his or her actions. This excludes deaths: related to conflicts caused by recklessness or negligence or justifiable, such as in self-defense or by law enforcement in the line of duty.
In 2009 a report by the Geneva Declaration using UNODC data showed that worldwide firearms were used in an average of 60 percent of all homicides.In the U.S. in 2011, 67 percent of homicide victims were killed by a firearm: 66 percent of single-victim homicides and 79 percent of multiple-victim homicides.
It was determined in a study that for every firearm death in the USA for one year from 1 June 1992, an average of three firearm-related injuries were treated in hospital emergency departments.
Levels of gun violence vary greatly among geographical regions, countries, and even subnationally. The United States has the highest rate of gun related deaths per capita among developed countries though it also has the highest rate of gun ownership and the highest rate of officers.
In terms of occurrence, developed countries have similar rates of assaults and robberies with firearms, whereas the rates of homicides by firearms vary greatly by country.
Gun violence is a regularly debated political issue in the United States. Gun-related violence is most common in poor urban areas and frequently associated with gang violence, often involving male juveniles or young adult males.
High-profile mass shootings have fueled debate over gun policies, even though these events are relatively rare.
We would like to see change in this world and in our communities. To bring our people together and stop the Gun Violence in this world, our communities, and especially our countries.