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U.S. School Shootings Have Risen 12-fold Since 1970

During the past half-century, the United States’ annual number of school shootings has increased more than twelvefold, a new study finds.

What’s more, children are now four times more likely to be a school shooting victim, and the death rate from school shootings has risen more than sixfold.

“Firearm violence is a public health crisis, and it needs to be addressed,” said lea...

School Lockdown Drills Help Students Feel Safer: Study

Lockdown drills have become a shudder-inducing part of American life, preparing kids to lie low and keep quiet if a gunman chooses to roam their school.

But a new study finds these drills help children who've been exposed to violence, helping them feel safer at school.

The findings contradict claims that drills traumatize children rather than making them feel secure, researchers sai...

Murder Rate for U.S. Black Women Is 6 Times That of Whites

Black women in the United States are six times more likely, on average, to be murdered than white women, a new study finds.

And that risk runs even higher when looking at specific states and time periods, researchers report Feb. 7 in The Lancet journal.

For example, Black women...

Murder, Suicide Claim More Years of Life Among U.S. Minorities Than Whites

People of color in the United States lose more potential years of life to murder and suicide than whites, a new study concludes.

On average, Hispanic, Asian and Black homicide victims lose an average 12, eight and four more years of expected lifespan, respectively, than white victims, researchers report Feb. 7 in the journal

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • February 8, 2024
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  • As Atrocities in Gaza and Israel Unfold, Psychiatrists Give Advice on Coping

    Whether or not you have loved ones in the Middle East, the horrors of the violence and suffering in Israel and Gaza are heart-wrenching and difficult to bear.

    “It's important to be informed, but don't stress yourself out," said Dr. Gary Small, chair of psychi...

    Doctor's Group Pulls Paper on 'Excited Delirium,' Often Cited in Cases Involving Excessive Force by Police

    A paper that has been used in court cases to justify excessive police force was withdrawn Thursday by the American College of Emergency Physicians, a prominent doctor's group.

    The paper, published in 2009, was on a condition referred to as “excited delirium.”

    “This [withdrawal] means if someone dies while being restrained in custody ... people can't point to excited delirium ...

    Young Adults, Black Americans Most Likely to Visit ER for Assault Injuries

    Being young or Black may make it more likely that you wind up in an emergency room with an assault injury, new research suggests.

    Living in metropolitan areas and being covered by state-based health insurance was also tied to a raised risk.

    The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) released the r...

    U.S. Study Takes a Closer Look at Mass Shootings

    The United States has more than 10 times the number of mass shootings than other developed countries, but the factors that account for these events are elusive.

    Now, new research suggests that stems from policy, environmental and socio-cultural factors.

    "I'm constantly asked, 'What is public health doing about the rise in mass shootings?" said researcher

  • Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
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  • July 27, 2023
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  • Big Rise in U.S. Teen Girls Reporting Violence, Sadness -- Far More Than Boys

    An alarming new survey shows that American teen girls are experiencing record high levels of violence, sadness and suicide risk.

    Schools may be the answer to improving what's happening for young people, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    About 3 in 5 girls -- 57% -- said they felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021. That's up 60%, t...

    1 in 3 U.S. Public Health Workers Feels Threatened During Pandemic

    One-third of public health workers have endured threats, anger and aggression from the public during the pandemic, and that has come at a steep cost to their mental health, a new study finds.

    “The negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers have been documented and the research on psychological impacts is building,” said lead study author

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • January 25, 2023
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  • Homicide a Leading Cause of Death for Kids, Teens

    Homicide has become a leading killer of children, with guns being the most common weapon used in their deaths, a new study shows.

    The overall rate of homicides in children has grown about 4.3% each year for a decade, with a steep rise seen between 2019 and 2020, when the number of kids who died by homicide rose 27.7%.

    Firearm-related homicides rose 47.7% between 2019 and 2020, acc...

    Gun Homicides Rose Sharply During Pandemic, Black Men Most Affected

    Gun deaths skyrocketed in the United States between 2019 and 2020, according to a new study.

    Men were most affected, with Black men most frequently killed in gun murders and white men in gun suicides.

    The study found that gun killing rates for Black people were nearly seven times those for white people. Between 2019 and 2020 alone, gun homicides rose 39% for Black people, highlight...

    Pandemic Saw Big Rise in Deaths to Millennials From Multiple Causes

    Americans aged 25 to 44 — so-called millennials — are dying at significantly higher rates from three leading killers than similarly aged people just 10 years ago, the latest government data shows.

    Looking at data collected between 2000 and 2020, the new report from the U.S. National Center for He...

    LGBTQ Youth Have Double the Risk for Suicidal Thoughts, Attempts

    A new study that looks at suicide risk among U.S. teens who are lesbian, gay and bisexual finds they have disproportionately high rates of suicidal thoughts, planning and attempts compared to their heterosexual peers.

    “The major message of this paper is that among a group of survivors of these types of violence, those who identify as a sexual minority are more likely to develop suicidal...

    ERs Seeing Huge Rise in Cases of Sexual Assault

    Victims of sexual assault are seeking treatment in U.S. emergency rooms in growing numbers, with University of Michigan (UM) researchers detecting a 15-fold increase between 2006 and 2019.

    Rapes and other forms of sexual assault occur every 68 seconds in the United States, and their number rose from 93,000 in 2006 to nearly 140,000 in 2019, according to data from the U.S. Federal Bureau o...

    America's ER Docs Alarmed by Rising Violence From Patients

    The stories grabbed headlines during the pandemic: Violent episodes in U.S. emergency rooms where patients attacked doctors.

    Now, a new poll shows just how widespread the problem has become: Two-thirds of emergency physicians reported being assaulted in t...

    Neighborhood Factors Could Raise Your Child's Odds for Asthma

    Inner-city kids are known to be at greater risk for uncontrolled asthma. Now, new research suggests that violent crime and poor school achievement may be two reasons why.

    “Experiencing violent crime can result in toxic stress, and decreased educational attainment is associated with lower health literacy,” said study author Dr. Jordan Tyris, a hospitalist at Children's National Hospita...

    Paintball Guns Are Being Used to Harm - And Blinding Victims

    When a paintball bursts out of a CO2-powered gun, it can travel nearly 300 feet per second.

    Pointed in the direction of a face, that paintball - meant to be used in certain jobs or for entertainment while wearing protective gear - can cause devastating injury to the eye, including ruptur...

    Neighborhood Drop in Violent Crime May Also Boost Heart Health

    Every town wants low crime rates. But a new finding may offer a whole new reason to advocate for the change: Falling crime rates may lower heart disease fatalities.

    An analysis of 2000-2014 data from Chicago illustrated a significant decline in violent crime. Across the city, the drop in total crime was 16%, while simultaneously there was a 13% decrease in

  • By Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling HealthDay Reporter
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  • July 18, 2022
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  • For 911 Calls, Are Mental Health Specialists Often the Better Choice?

    One American city's "radical" approach to handling low-level 911 calls -- sending mental health professionals rather than police -- may have taken a bite out of crime, a new study finds.

    The study evaluated Denver's

  • Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
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  • June 13, 2022
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  • U.S. Teachers Often Faced Harassment, Violence During Pandemic: Poll

    The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on America's teachers, and nearly half of those recently surveyed said they're thinking about quitting their jobs or switching schools.

    Enforcing mask-wearing and pivoting to remote learning hasn't been easy. But many teachers and other school staff have also endure...

    Gun-Related Spinal Cord Injury in Childhood Brings Hardship Later

    Spinal cord injuries in childhood are devastating no matter how they happen, but new research suggests that kids felled by gunshots are even worse off than those who suffer such an injury nonviolently.

    About 13% of spinal cord injuries in U.S. children are gun-related.

    Pandemic-Linked Rise in Crime Hit America's Poor Neighborhoods Hardest

    Poor neighborhoods of color bore the brunt of a surge in violent crime in U.S. cities early in the COVID-19 pandemic, new research shows.

    "This study adds to the mounting body of research showing that equal opportunities -- including the opportunity to live, work, learn, play and worship free from...

    No Evidence Violent Video Games Lead to Real Violence: Study

    Will boys fixated on gore-filled video games become violent in real life? Many parents may worry that's the case, but new and reassuring research finds violent video games don't trigger actual violence in kids.

    The study included boys aged 8 to 18, the group most likely to play violent video games, and examined two types of violence: aggression against other people, and destruction of thi...

    White House Announces Plan to Reduce Gun Suicides

    The Biden administration unveiled a plan on Tuesday that aims to cut gun suicides in the United States.

    Measures in the plan include creating awareness and training programs and making gun storage ...

    Guard Dogs, Panic Buttons: Nurses Under Threat From Rising Violence

    Emergency room nurse Grace Politis was catching up on paperwork during her shift when she suddenly realized her head hurt badly. Then she blacked out.

    "Later on, I found out I was hit in the head twice with a fire extinguisher by a patient," said Politis, who works at Lowell General Hospital in Lowell, Mass.

    A disturbed man awaiting psychiatric evaluation had fractured Politis' skul...

    State Spending on Poverty Really Pays Off for Kids: Study

    When states spend money on programs that reduce poverty, fewer children are abused and neglected, fewer end up in foster care and fewer die, a new study reveals.

    Researchers found that for every additional $1,000 that states spent on federal, state and local benefit programs per person living in poverty, there was a 4% reduction in substantiated child abuse, a 2% reduction in foster care ...

    Death Threats, Trolling Common for Scientists Who Speak to Media About COVID

    Doctors who discuss COVID-19 in the media frequently face abuse and harassment, including threats of death or violence, a new report reveals.

    More than two-thirds of experts surveyed have experienced trolling or personal attacks after speaking about COVID-19 in media interviews, a worldwide survey of more than 300 scientists found.

    Further, a quarter said such harassment is a freque...

    U.S. Murder Rate Up 30% During Pandemic, Highest One-Year Rise Ever

    The rate at which homicide is taking the lives of Americans jumped by 30% over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic -- the largest year-to-year increase ever, new federal government figures show.

    The rate jumped from 6 homicides per 100,000 people in 2019 to 7.8 per 100,000 in 2020, according to provisional data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center...

    Over Half of Police Killings Aren't Reported, Blacks Most Likely Victims

    While high-profile cases like the 2020 killing of George Floyd have cast a harsh spotlight on police violence in the United States, researchers say deaths attributable to it have been underreported for at least 40 years.

    That's the key finding in a new study published Sept. 30 in The Lancet.

    For the study, a team from the University of Washington School of Medicine, in Seat...

    Murders Surged in U.S. in 2020

    A record increase was seen in the number of murders in the United States in 2020, in the biggest one-year jump reported since federal officials began tracking homicides in 1960.

    Figures showed 4,901 more murders committed in 2020 than in 2019. A total of roughly 21,500 people were killed last year, according to data from 16,000 law enforcement agencies across the country. While the number...

    Childhood Trauma Linked With Higher Odds for Adult Neurological Ills

    Kids who suffer abuse, neglect or household dysfunction are more likely to have neurological problems like stroke or headaches as adults, researchers report.

    "Traumatic events in childhood have been linked in previous studies to a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, riskier health behaviors like smoking and drug use, and decreased life expectancy," said researcher Dr. Adys Mendizabal,...

    Witnessing Abuse of a Sibling Can Traumatize a Child

    Seeing a parent abuse a sibling can be as traumatizing as watching a parent hurt another parent, a new study finds.

    And it can lead to depression, anxiety and anger, researchers say.

    "When we hear about exposure to family violence, we usually think about someone being the victim of direct physical abuse or witnessing spousal assault," said researcher Corinna Tucker. She is a profess...

    Sexual Assault Could Affect a Woman's Long-Term Brain Health

    It's known that sexual assault affects a woman's physical and mental health. Now, researchers say these traumatic incidents may also harm her brain health.

    A new study found that traumatic experiences, including sexual violence, may be linked to greater risk of dementia, stroke and other brain disorders.

    "Identifying early warning signs of stroke and dementia are critical to providi...

    Why Losing Someone to Violence Can Be Especially Tough to Get Over

    It can take years for a survivor of a traumatic event to recover from the loss of a loved one, new research shows, but treating the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) early may help prevent what's called complicated grief.

    "Grief is a normal response to the loss of someone close, but traumatic losses may severely harm survivors for years," said lead study author Kristin Alv...

    Pandemic Stresses Enough to Trigger Political, Social Unrest: Analysis

    The psychological strains of the pandemic can be powerful tinder for political unrest and violence, researchers warn.

    "The pandemic has disrupted our normal way of living, generating frustrations, unprecedented social exclusion, and a range of other concerns," said study author Henrikas Bartusevičius, a researcher with the Peace Research Institute Oslo in Norway. "Our investigations show...

    Who's Most Likely to Get Bullied at School?

    Bullying remains a threat to American teens, and a new study reveals which kids may be at highest risk.

    Race-based bullying takes a heavy toll on teens, the research found, but minority kids who are picked on for other reasons -- whether gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability or immigration status -- suffer a double whammy.

    Victims' physical and mental health suffer a...

    More Evidence Spanking Kids Doesn't Work, Can Cause Harm

    Is spanking good for parents? Is spanking good for kids? Is spanking good for anyone? No, no and no, according to a big new review of prior research.

    "Zero studies found that physical punishment predicted better child behavior over time," said study co-author Elizabeth Gershoff, a professor of human development and family sciences at the University of Texas at Austin.

    She and her t...

    Pandemic Silver Lining: Global Decline in Urban Crime

    COVID-19 lockdowns had at least one welcome upside: a significant drop in crime in cities worldwide, according to an international study.

    Researchers analyzed crime data from 27 metro areas (including Chicago; London; Sao Paulo; Barcelona, Spain; Tel Aviv, Israel; and Brisbane, Australia) and found big declines in most types of crimes, with the notable exception of homicide.

    "City l...

    Narcissist's 'Thin Skin' Can Easily Lead to Aggression

    Angry outbursts at the office, threats made in everyday interactions: New research using data from hundreds of studies suggests folks who act out in this way often have narcissistic traits.

    They don't even have to rate high in narcissism to be prone to aggressive behavior, the research team found.

    "Those who are high in narcissism have thin skins, and they will lash out if they feel...

    When Black Americans Encounter Police Violence, High Anxiety Often Follows

    A new survey confirms what many young Black Americans already know: They are vulnerable to anxiety disorders, particularly during contact with the police or in anticipation of police contact.

    "I think it's important, given what's going on in society," said survey author Robert Motley, Race and Opportunity Lab Manager at Washington University in St. Louis.

    "And I think it helps us to...

    Being Bullied Often Leads Teens to Thoughts of Violence

    Bullied and mistreated teens are much more likely to fantasize about hurting or killing others, a new study warns.

    "One way to think about fantasies is as our brain rehearsing future scenarios," said lead author Manuel Eisner, director of the University of Cambridge Violence Research Center in the U.K.

    His research included more than 1,400 young people in Zurich, Switzerland, who we...

    Tougher Gun Laws, Fewer Gun Deaths: Study

    The more gun laws a state has, the lower its suicide and murder rates, a new U.S. study finds.

    Gun violence in the United States is a public health crisis. In 2017, nearly 67,000 Americans died by suicide and homicide. And guns were involved in about half of the suicides and 74% of the murders, the researchers reported.

    But in recent decades, "as states' strictness [on gun ownership...

    High-Profile Police Brutality Cases Harm Black Americans' Mental Health: Study

    As America awaits a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial, new research finds that such high-profile police killings of Black people may take a big mental health toll on psyches across the country.

    Researchers found that, on average, Black Americans reported an increase in "poor mental health days" during weeks where more than one deadly racial incident was in the news.

    Those incidents...

    Want Less Violent Prisons? Plant More Trees

    It's already known that green space offers significant benefits in institutional settings, such as hospitals and schools, but new research suggests it may also reduce violence in prisons.

    In the new study, researchers compared the amount of trees, lawns and shrubs at prisons in England and Wales with data on violence between prisoners, prisoner assaults on staff and prisoner self-harm.

    Tougher State Gun Laws, Less Gun Violence Among Teens: Study

    States with more gun laws have less youth gun violence, new research reveals.

    For the study, the researchers examined data from several states from 2005 to 2017, and found that kids were less likely to be armed in states with more gun laws, and more likely to carry a weapon in states with fewer gun laws.

    Louisiana and Arkansas had the highest percentage of armed youth in 2017 at 12....

    Philly Study Finds Lockdowns Linked to Spike in Gun Violence

    After the coronavirus pandemic forced the city of Philadelphia to go into lockdown, gun violence rapidly escalated, a new study finds.

    It's known that many U.S. cities saw a spike in gun violence in 2020, a year marked not only by the pandemic but also widespread protests following the police killing of George Floyd.

    In the new study, researchers found that after Philadelphia closed...

    Poll Finds Americans Highly Stressed by Politics, Pandemic

    Stress levels are on the rise as Americans grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic and bitter political divisions, a new American Psychological Association (APA) survey shows.

    On a 10-point scale where 1 means little to no stress and 10 means a great amount, adults' average stress level clocked in at 5.6, according to the Stress in America: January 2021 Stress Snapshot.

    That's higher tha...

    One Type of Injury Should Raise Red Flag for Domestic Violence

    As many as one-third of adult women who have a particular fracture to their forearms may be victims of intimate partner violence, according to a new study.

    The findings underscore the need to screen women who receive fractures to their ulna for possible intimate partner violence, researchers said. That includes those who say they were injured in a fall.

    The ulna is the bone on the p...

    Not Harmless: Rubber Bullets, Pepper Spray Rob Vision

    Last summer, the American Academy of Ophthalmology condemned the use of rubber bullets as a law enforcement tactic for crowd control during protests that rocked the United States. The argument: rubber bullets can cause serious eye injury.

    Now, a new study backs up that concern, finding that the use of rubber bullets and pellets, pepper spray, tear gas and/or bean bag guns does, in fact, i...