Researching gun violence reduction policies

In the 22 years since Congress barred the federal government from funding activities to promote gun control, there’s been little research on how to reduce gun violence.

Following the Valentine’s Day mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, new HHS Secretary Alex Azar told a House committee it was a “priority” for his agency to conduct research on the causes of these recurrent tragedies and that the law did not block such research funding.

Based on Modern Healthcare reporting, here are 10 key health policy questions researchers are interested in probing:

1. Who buys, owns and uses guns and for what purposes?

2. What are the potential risks and benefits of having a gun at home?

3. Which specific population groups should healthcare providers ask about gun access, and how should providers ask the question?

4. When someone at high risk for suicide or other violence discloses gun access, what can healthcare providers do to reduce risk?

5. What are the factors that influence the probability of gun violence in specific highrisk physical locations such as schools?

6. Do childhood gun education and prevention programs lower gun violence?

7. Does reducing access to guns by violence-prone individuals affect gun violence?

8. What are the effects of social media use and exposure to media and video game violence on the likelihood of gun violence?

9. How should healthcare providers counsel domestic violence victims who live in a home with a gun?

10. After a gun injury or death has occurred, what are the best ways to stop the cascade effect on the families and communities, including preventing copycat incidents, retaliations and cases of post-traumatic stress disorder?