Fast Facts
Access to a gun ___ the risk of death by suicide. Gun suicides are concentrated in states with high rates of gun ownership.
a) doubles
b) triples
4) quadruples
b) Triples
Every day, ___ (# of) people in the US are killed with guns and more than 200 are shot and wounded.
125 people
How many US states require background checks and/or permits to purchase handguns
What It Does
Requiring background checks before a gun purchase ensures that the buyer is not legally prohibited from having guns due to criminal history, mental health disability, or other factors. A purchase permit may come with additional strong issuance standards or more robust record-keeping. States should require background checks not just to buy handguns but also for rifle and shotgun purchases. A full discussion on Background Checks is here.
22 US states.
The Impact
State laws requiring background checks at the point of sale and/or as part of a permit to purchase are associated with lower rates of firearm homicide, firearm suicide, and firearm trafficking.
T or F: Children exposed to violence, crime, and abuse are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol; suffer from depression, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder; resort to aggressive and violent behavior; and engage in criminal activity.
TRUE: Children are harmed in numerous ways when they witness violence. Exposure to community violence, including witnessing shootings and hearing gunshots, makes it harder for children to succeed in school
If you were on site when a lockdown drill was called, would you know where to go? Would your SF be available for guidance or support?
No right answer - please discuss with your group. points to all who work together on a solution (even if you're on different teams)!
If you would not know what to do in this circumstance, think about how you should prepare for this (rare, but possible) circumstance
What is the safest way to store a gun?
unload: remove all ammunition from the firearm, including removing any chambered rounds
lock: Unloaded firearms should be secured with a firearm locking device, such as a cable lock, or in a locked location, like a safe or lock box.
separate: Ammunition should be stored separately from the firearm in a secure location.
Approximately ____ American children witness gun violence every year.
3 million
How many states require a permit to carry concealed guns in public?
What It Does
Prior to 2010, only two states allowed people to carry concealed guns without first obtaining a permit. Since that time, allowing permit-less carry has been a top priority of the gun lobby—and many states have repealed this fundamental safety requirement. The strongest public carry policies require firearm training in order to get a permit, including live-fire instruction. A full discussion on Permit-less Carry is here.
21 states.
The Impact
Studies of states that weaken their permitting systems have shown an 11% increase in handgun homicide rates and a 13% to 15% increase in overall violent crime rates.
T or F: Massachusetts has the lowest rates of gun death in the US
TRUE: Massachusetts has among the strongest gun laws in the country and one of the lowest rate of gun deaths. The Bay State has long been a leader in gun safety—and is one of the only states to bar gun purchases by people with outstanding warrants and to require secure storage for any firearm not in the owner’s immediate control. MA has taken a holistic approach to gun violence prevention. In 2024, Massachusetts passed a comprehensive bill to update and strengthen their laws, including regulating ghost guns and raising the age to purchase semiautomatic firearms.
Towards the end of your mentoring session, two of your mentees begin playing a game where one mentee pretends to be a 'cop', and the other is pretending to be a 'robber'. the 'cop' is holding up finger guns and shouting 'pew! pew!' as the 'robber' hits the ground yelling 'They got me! i've been shot!'.
You aren't sure why, but you notice another mentee watching their game with a sad look on their face. How can you redirect the play and potentially check in with the mentee who appeared to be bothered by the game?
No right answer - please discuss with your group. points to all who work together on a solution (even if you're on different teams)!
This scenario is based on something that happened during one of my mentoring session. Specific as it seems, sometimes mentees do play games involving death, which may be a sensitive topic for other mentees. Mentees are always exploring with play and most often have the best intentions, but it can be important to note that some play may be hard for others. Do your best with this prompt!
Try to name 3/5 states with the strongest gun restrictive laws
1. California
2. Massachusetts
3. Illinois
4. New York
5. Connecticut
Black children and teens in the US are more than ___ times more likely than white children and teens of the same age to die by gun homicide.
18x more likely
How many states have Extreme Risk laws?
What It Does
Extreme Risk laws allow for quick intervention when a person is at serious risk of harming themselves or others with a firearm. These laws enable law enforcement to ask for a court order that temporarily removes guns from these dangerous situations—and prohibits the person from buying new guns. The strongest policies allow family members to file petitions as well.
21 States.
The Impact
A multistate study found that one suicide was averted for every 17 ERPOs issued, which translates to 269 lives saved. This study also found that when looking at only those cases in which the individual had demonstrated a threat of self-harm, for every 13 ERPOs issued, a suicide was averted. Research has also found that Extreme Risk laws are associated with reductions in state firearm suicide rates
T or F: Lockdown drills have been throughly researched and designed to maximize the safety of children in the event that a shooting were to take place.
FALSE: 95% of American public schools drill students on lockdown procedures. Yet, there is almost no limited affirming the value of these drills for preventing school shootings or protecting the school community when shootings do occur. Research has started to pop up and appear promising, but there is still plenty of work to be done.
It is a beautiful day and all of your mentees are BEGGING to go outside during 'get active'. However, 1 mentee complains that they do not want to go out. Ultimately the group votes to go outside, but you notice the mentee who wanted to stay inside is sticking close to the door. You go over to the mentee and ask if they want to play, but they shake their head nervously and tell you that its too loud. You aren't sure what they are referring to, but you can tell they are nervous. What can you do for the mentee in this moment?
No right answer - please discuss with your group. points to all who work together on a solution (even if you're on different teams)!
While situations like this may not be directly tied to gun related incidents, children who have experiences gun shots in their neighborhood may experience increased anxiety when they are outside of a safe space and may be easily be triggered by loud and quick sounds (ex. basketball hitting the pavement).
In Massachusetts, what percent of gun deaths are attributed to suicides and homicides?
In Massachusetts, 55% of gun deaths are suicides and 43% are homicides. This is compared to 56% and 40% nationwide, respectively.
Black Americans represent the majority of gun homicide victims. In fact, Black people in the US are more than ___ times more likely than white people to die by gun homicide.
12x more likely
How many states have rejected Shoot First laws?
What It Does
21 States.
The Impact
These laws dramatically escalate violence. Shoot First laws are associated with increases in homicide rates resulting in 700 additional homicides nationwide each year. And they drastically reduce consequences. In Shoot First states, these homicides are deemed justifiable five times more frequently than when the shooter is Black and the victim is white
T or F: Environmental design, especially in urban spaces may have an impact on gun violence rates.
TRUE: A 2019 case study in Philadelphia showed that by restoring blighted and vacant urban land, they were able to see improvements in the safety of those areas. According to the study, "The impact of greening these lots has been a 29 percent reduction in gun violence, a 13 percent reduction in crime overall, and a 22 percent reduction in burglary.10 Residents report feeling safer utilizing outdoor spaces."
During peaks and valleys, a mentee mentions that someone in their class brought a toy gun to school, and was secretly showing other kids in class. The mentee tells you that their teacher didn't see, and they were too scared to 'tattle', but it made them uncomfortable. What can you do for the mentee in this moment?
No right answer - please discuss with your group. points to all who work together on a solution (even if you're on different teams)!
Note: remember that we are not able to solve this problem, but focus on supporting their feelings and thinking about who this can/should be reported to on site.
3 examples of how to engage students and families in gun violence prevention:
1. Create a safety reporting program
2. Help families start conversations with their school community
3. Use strategies that encourage effective communication on difficult topics
School safety requires all stakeholders—students, families, educators, educators’ unions, mental health professionals, law enforcement professionals, organizations promoting racial and social justice, and community members—to collaborate and work together.
More than ____ children and teens die by gun homicide every year. For children under the age of 13, these gun homicides most frequently occur in _____
2,800 children; the home and are often connected to domestic or family violence.
How many states have child-access and/or secure storage laws?
What It Does
Secure storage laws prevent unauthorized access by children by requiring gun owners to lock up their firearms. The strongest systems have consequences for any failure to secure a gun. Less-strong policies, sometimes called “Child-Access Prevention (CAP) laws,” penalize gun owners only if a child actually gains access to a firearm. While some state laws are concerned only with the threat of child access, others also include consequences if an un-secure gun is likely to be obtained by an adult who is legally prohibited from possession.
26 states.
The Impact
Secure gun storage reduces youth gun violence dramatically, with households that lock firearms and ammunition seeing up to 85% fewer unintentional injuries. State storage laws also incentivize better practices, with researchers finding they reduce injuries and deaths among young people.
T or F: Arming teachers in school will help ensure that students are safe and well defended in the event that an armed individual enters the building.
FALSE: Arming teachers and other educators does not make schools safer; to the contrary, it escalates the risk of shootings and introduces new liability risks.
Research strongly indicates that children will access guns when guns are present, including on school grounds. There have been numerous incidents of misplaced guns in schools that were left in bathrooms, in locker rooms, and at sporting events.
You hear a group of mentees sparking up a conversation over Charlie Kirk's death - something they heard about online. Mentee 1 asks Mentee 2 if they have seen 'the video'. Mentee 2 asks, 'what video?'. You notice Mentee 1 reaching for their phone. When and how do you choose to intervene?
No right answer - please discuss with your group. points to all who work together on a solution (even if you're on different teams)!
This is a complicated circumstance that highlights desensitization, social media influence on youth, spread of potentially traumatic content (mentee 2 doesn't seem to know what they are asking to see...), and difficult conversations/boundaries as a mentor. Please consider these factors as you consider how you might respond!