Legislative Solutions to Adolescent Gun Violence

While gun violence continues to be a leading killer of U.S. children and adolescents, there remains little evidence-based public policy directed at this epidemic, a disparity largely stemming from the 1996 National Rifle Association-supported Dickey Amendment. Though the federal government has only recently begun funding public policy research on gun violence prevention, available data suggest that pediatric firearm morbidity and mortality are impacted by specific policies. This chapter will review those policies including child access prevention, extreme risk protection orders, minimum age requirements, mandatory waiting periods, universal background checks, campus carry restrictions, and stand-your-ground laws.