Listen to Teenagers: Gun Violence is a Public Health Problem
I work with teenagers regularly as a physician training in pediatrics. I have come to believe that they are often misunderstood, and misjudged as moody, immature risk-takers.
I ask every adolescent I see, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Most have an answer; they want to pursue a favorite hobby like cooking or go to college and find a career. On occasion, I’ll meet an aspiring president of the United States.
But some teens do not have an answer, because they do not see their own future. “I just think I’ll get killed or something,” one teenage boy said.
Nearly 1 million middle and high schoolers walked out of class last week to honor students killed last month in Florida and other victims of gun violence around the country. They are protesting the nation’s resistance to enacting stricter gun-control legislation.
Their messages were heartbreaking: “I should be writing my college essay, not my will.” “One child is worth more than all the guns on earth.” Their silence spoke volumes with one unified goal: tighter gun restrictions. We need to listen.
This is not the first time that youth have led a nation toward progressive change. Young people were at the forefront of the U.S. civil rights movement and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. More recently, black inner city youth in the U.S. have advocated against gun violence in their communities. Youth activism pushes us forward.
Last week, healthcare providers from all over the world met in Seattle to discuss topics that affect adolescents at the annual Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) conference. The opening session coincided with the March 14 student walkout. Attendees sat in silence in solidarity with the teens we serve. Our life work compels us to believe adolescents when they say they need help and to advocate for their safety.
This is one of those times.
SAHM joined 33 other medical, public health, and research organizations to issue this statement: “It is critical that we address gun violence as the significant public health threat that it is, so that we can enact policies that significantly reduce firearm-related morbidity and mortality.
Homicide is the third highest cause of death in adolescents — and almost nine out of ten adolescent homicides involve guns. Survivors and witnesses of trauma that includes gun violence can experience negative effects on their psychosocial development, mental and physical health. In a national survey, 13 percent of adolescents reported witnessing gun violence.
Walking through one’s neighborhood and attending school should not be safety hazards. The teens are right: We need action.
Protecting our country’s youth from gun violence is not a partisan issue. Gun violence affects all backgrounds, communities, and political preferences. I stand with survivors of school shootings, like Emma González from Parkland, Florida, who boldly called for action through her tears days after 17 students and staff from her school were killed. I also stand with survivors of community gun violence, like Eva Marie Lewis, a south-side Chicago native, who describes gun violence as a consequence of a lack of opportunities in her community. She leads protests for safety and increased access to education. Violence is part of the backdrop of their daily lives. They deserve our empathy and support.
On Saturday, March 24, I will walk with students from my community in the #MarchForOurLives. I believe all children deserve to grow up and reach their full potential without fear of violence or death. I stand with my patients because enough is enough.
Rebekah Fenton is a physician and second-year pediatric resident at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital.
