Gun Violence Prevention

March 19, 2025

Andrea Bateman, MD, FAAP, OPS Board Member

Since 2020, firearms have been the leading cause of death in children and teens in the United States. In 2022, 4,603 children died from firearm-related injuries. [1] That is equivalent to an entire school bus of children being killed every six days in the U.S. On average, 600 Oregonians die every year from gun injuries, with 78% of those deaths from suicide. In my county (Deschutes), the rate of firearm suicide is almost twice the national average.

As a pediatrician working at a School-Based Health Center and caring for a primarily adolescent population, I see teens every day who are struggling with depression and anxiety. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey given to all high school students has consistently found that around 20% of students have seriously considered suicide in the past year. The threat of mass shootings at school is also a significant source of anxiety for teens and their parents. Overall, 57% of teens say they are worried about the possibility of a shooting happening at their school, with 25% saying they are very worried. The September 2022 shooting at a Safeway store in Bend was perpetrated by a 20-year-old armed with an AR-15 who had professed a desire to commit a mass shooting at his former high school.  During the past four years, both the high school where I work and the high school my son attends have been locked down because of firearm violence threats. 

Professional medical societies such as the AAP encourage their members to talk to patients about firearm safety and the risks of gun-related violence. In response to the alarming trends in gun violence, the US Surgeon General released an advisory in 2024 declaring firearm violence a public health emergency. 

Here are six ways you can take action and get involved today:

1. Talk to all families and teens about secure storage of firearms in their homes, vehicles, and the homes they visit. The Be SMART initiative offers lots of resources.
2. Screen for suicide risk.
3. Consider offering free gun locks to families in your office.
4. Schedule a Firearm Suicide and Injury Prevention training for healthcare providers that Steve Schneider at the Alliance for a Safe Oregon, Dr. Katie Iossi at OHSU, and I have developed. Contact: info@oralliance.org 
5. Learn about the 2025 Oregon gun tragedy prevention legislative agenda that a broad coalition of partners is championing, which includes: raising the age to 21 for the purchase of semi-automatic rifles; banning bump stocks; strengthening ERPO (red flag laws); funding community violence intervention programs; and requiring state licensing of gun dealers. Learn more here : www.alliancesafeoregon.org/take-action
6. Your voice matters and our state leaders need to hear from you. Send a message to your state representative. 

Andrea Bateman, MD, FAAP, OPS Board Member

From One Pediatrician to Another

Our patients listen to and trust us. They expect pediatric providers to have honest conversations about their health, and they come to us for guidance and treatment for issues that place them at higher risk of firearm injury.  We have the opportunity – and the responsibility — to have these conversations with our families and to encourage our legislators to act this year for a safer Oregon. 

References

1. Source: Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. Adapted from Goldstick, J.E., Cunningham, R.M., & Carter, P.M. (2022). Current causes of death in children and adolescents in the United States. The New England Journal of Medicine, 386 (20), 1955-1956. Underlying cause of death data from CDC WONDER.