The state of gun violence in the US, explained in 18 charts
Summary
TLDRThe video script addresses the epidemic of gun violence in the United States, highlighting the country's high rate of mass shootings compared to other developed nations. It delves into the statistics of gun-related deaths, showing that suicides account for the majority, and emphasizes the lethality of crime in the US due to the prevalence of firearms. The script also discusses the correlation between gun ownership and gun deaths, and the need for nuanced policies to tackle the multifaceted issue of gun violence.
Takeaways
- 🚑 Gun violence is a significant issue in the United States, with mass shootings drawing particular attention due to their indiscriminate nature.
- 🔫 The US has a higher rate of mass shootings compared to other developed countries, even when adjusted for population size.
- 📊 The frequency of public mass shootings in the US has increased over time, with an average interval of 2 months between incidents since 2011.
- 🕊️ Despite the media focus on mass shootings, the majority of gun deaths in the US are suicides, not homicides.
- 🔝 The United States has the highest suicide rate among the top 10 countries ranked by the UN for Human Development, with a significant portion of these being gun-related suicides.
- 🔁 Guns make suicide attempts more lethal, as most people who survive suicide attempts do not die from suicide later in life.
- 🔍 Gun suicides predominantly affect men and are mostly white, with an increasing trend in the US.
- 📉 While the rate of gun homicides in the US has been decreasing, the country still has a higher homicide rate compared to other developed nations, even when adjusted for population.
- 🏠 The victims of gun homicides are often young black men, highlighting a disparity in the impact of gun violence.
- 🔑 The high prevalence of guns in the US is a key factor in the country's unique problem with gun violence among developed nations.
- 🔗 There is a strong correlation between gun ownership and gun deaths, both for homicides and suicides, in the US.
Q & A
What is the primary issue discussed in the video script?
-The primary issue discussed in the video script is the problem of gun violence in the United States, its prevalence, and its impact on society.
How does the frequency of mass shootings in the US compare to other developed countries?
-The US has a significantly higher frequency of mass shootings compared to other developed countries. Between 2000 and 2014, there were 133 mass shootings in public, populated places in the US, while Finland, the next highest, had only 2 over the same period.
What is the average time between public mass shootings with 4 or more fatalities in the US before and after 2011?
-Before 2011, public mass shootings with 4 or more fatalities occurred on average every 6 months. After 2011, the average time between such incidents decreased to every 2 months.
What are the main types of gun deaths in the US, and how do they compare in numbers?
-The main types of gun deaths in the US are suicides, homicides, accidental shootings, police actions, and undetermined incidents. On average, 58 out of 92 daily gun deaths are suicides, while about 30 are homicides, with mass shootings accounting for a small fraction of these.
How does the rate of gun suicides in the US compare internationally?
-The US has the highest suicide rate among the top 10 countries ranked highest on Human Development by the UN, with a significant portion of those suicides involving guns.
What is the demographic most affected by gun suicides in the US?
-The demographic most affected by gun suicides in the US is overwhelmingly men, and mostly white.
How has the rate of gun homicides in the US changed over time?
-The rate of gun homicides in the US has been decreasing, especially since the 90s when overall crime rates were higher.
Who are the typical victims of gun homicides in the US?
-The typical victims of gun homicides in the US are disproportionately young black men.
What is the correlation between gun ownership and gun deaths in the US?
-There is a strong correlation between gun ownership and gun deaths in the US, with states and countries with more guns having higher gun death rates.
How does the US compare to other developed countries in terms of gun ownership and gun control regulations?
-The US has much laxer gun control regulations compared to other developed countries, making it easier to acquire guns without a license, and there is no official registry for most gun purchases.
What is the estimated number of guns per capita in the US compared to other countries?
-The US has a significantly higher estimated number of guns per capita compared to other countries, even when adjusted for population size.
Outlines
🔫 Gun Violence in America: The Scale and Complexity
The script begins by addressing the urgent need for action against gun violence in the United States, highlighting the frequency of mass shootings and their devastating impact. It emphasizes that while mass shootings are the focus of public attention, they represent only a fraction of the daily gun-related deaths in the country. The United States is shown to have a significantly higher rate of mass shootings compared to other developed countries, even when adjusted for population size. The increasing frequency of these incidents is underscored by the shrinking time between each event. The script also touches on the broader issue of gun violence, noting that the majority of gun deaths are suicides, with homicides, accidental shootings, and other incidents making up the rest. International comparisons reveal that the US has the highest suicide rate among developed nations, with a significant number of these suicides involving firearms. The discussion suggests that the lethality of crime in the US is a key factor distinguishing it from other countries, with a stark contrast in the number of gun deaths compared to deaths from other causes such as AIDS, drug overdoses, wars, and terrorism.
📈 The Correlation Between Gun Ownership and Gun Deaths
This paragraph delves into the relationship between gun ownership and gun-related deaths in the United States. It contrasts the US's relatively lax gun laws with those of other developed countries, where licensing, safety tests, and official registries are standard requirements for gun ownership. The script points out the staggering number of guns in the US and the increasing demand for firearms, particularly since President Obama's tenure. A correlation is established between the number of guns in a country or state and the rate of gun deaths, with the US standing out for its exceptionally high rates. The paragraph also discusses the types of gun deaths, noting that suicides are more likely to be fatal when a gun is involved, and that the presence of a gun escalates the danger in various situations such as domestic disputes or road rage. The script concludes by acknowledging the complexity of America's gun problem, suggesting that different policies may be needed to address the various facets of gun violence, from mass shootings to suicides and homicides.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Gun violence
💡Mass shootings
💡Semiautomatic weapon
💡Homicide
💡Suicide
💡Accidental shootings
💡Human Development Index (HDI)
💡Gun ownership
💡Background checks
💡Correlation
💡Lethality
Highlights
The US has a higher rate of mass shootings compared to other developed countries.
Gun violence in the US is more prevalent despite being a larger country when adjusted for population size.
Finland had only 2 shootings over 14 years, highlighting the stark contrast with the US.
The frequency of mass shootings in the US has increased since 2011.
Mass shootings are a fraction of the total gun-related deaths in the US.
Gun-related suicides account for the majority of gun deaths in the US.
The US has the highest suicide rate among developed countries, with a significant number involving guns.
Firearms make suicide attempts more lethal, reducing the chance of survival.
Gun suicides predominantly affect men and are mostly white in the US.
The rate of gun suicides in the US has been increasing.
Gun homicides in the US have been decreasing since the 90s.
The US has a higher homicide rate than other developed countries, even when adjusted for population size.
Victims of gun homicides in the US are disproportionately young black men.
Crime in the US is more lethal due to the prevalence of guns, not necessarily more crime.
Gun deaths in the US from 2000 to 2013 surpass deaths from AIDS, drug overdoses, wars, and terrorism combined.
The US has a significantly higher number of guns per capita compared to other developed countries.
Gun ownership in the US is relatively easy compared to other developed countries.
There is a strong correlation between gun ownership and gun deaths in the US.
Different policies may be needed to address various aspects of gun violence in the US.
Transcripts
“We need rescue inside the auditorium. Multiple victims.”
The United States has a problem with gun violence.
BUSH: We hold the victims in our hearts.
CLINTON: Perhaps we may never fully understand it.
“A man with a semiautomatic weapon.”
We talk about it after mass shootings. But it’s much larger, and more complicated than
those debates allow. Here’s what you need to know about the state of gun violence in America.
It’s true that the US sees many more mass shootings than these other developed countries.
Between 2000 and 2014, there were 133 mass shootings in public, populated places. That’s
excluding gang violence and terrorism.
Of course, the US is a much larger country, but if you adjust for population size, it
still ranks higher. Of these countries, Finland is next, with just 2 shootings over 14 years,
but a much, much smaller population.
And this type of tragedy seems to be happening more often in the US. Each of these squares
represents a public mass shooting with 4 or more fatalities. Before 2011, they happened
6 months apart on average, but since then, only 2 months go by between them.
OBAMA: I hope and pray that I don't have to come out again during my tenure as president
to offer my condolences to families in these circumstances.
That was October 1, 2015. And just about 2 months later.
OBAMA: Yesterday, a tragedy occurred in San Bernardino. Our first order of business is
to send our thoughts and prayers to the families of those who've been killed.
Public mass shootings get all the attention because they’re often so indiscriminate,
but the truth is mass shootings are unlike most gun deaths in America. Here’s how it
breaks down:
According to the most recent data, 92 people are killed with guns every day on average.
About 30 of those are homicides of which maybe 1.5 at most can be considered part of mass shootings.
Most of those killed, 58 people a day, are suicides. The rest are accidental shootings,
police actions, and undetermined incidents.
Those suicides - they show up in international comparisons, too. These are the 10 countries
ranked highest on Human Development by the UN. The US has the highest suicide rate among
them, and this darker bar shows how many of those are with guns.
Some people think suicide isn’t really relevant to the gun issue.
LOTT: To go and think some type of gun control regulations that are being talked about are
going to stop somebody from committing suicide when there are so many other ways to commit suicide.
But the methods that people use are important because suicide attempts often stem from temporary
crises. The vast majority of people who survive suicide attempts don’t end up dying from
suicide. But guns make it nearly impossible to get that second chance.
The victims of gun suicides are overwhelmingly men, and mostly white.
And the rate of gun suicides has been increasing in the US. At the same time, the rate of gun
homicides has been decreasing, especially since the 90s when crime rates in general
were higher.
But if you compare the US to other developed countries, it doesn’t look like good news.
These are homicides adjusted for population size. The US would probably have a higher
homicide rate even without guns, but you can see how gun violence pushes that rate far
beyond the other countries here.
The victims of these shootings — they’re not the ones you often see on the national
news. They’re disproportionately young black men.
SHUNDRA ROBINSON: You guys can leave here and go on with your lives, but we gotta
go home to empty rooms. Because our children’s lives were taken away by people who should
not have had guns anyway.
One possible explanation is that US simply has more crime than those other countries.
But if you set aside homicides for a moment and look rates of burglary, or assault, you
don’t see the same spike that you see with homicide.
It’s not that America has much more crime. It’s that crime in the US is much more lethal.
Altogether, the number of gun deaths in the US from 2000 to 2013 exceeds the number of
Americans killed by AIDS, by illegal drug overdoses, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars,
and terrorism, combined.
It should be clear by now that this level of gun violence is a uniquely American problem
among the developed world. And here’s one reason why.
There are a ton of guns in the US. This chart of shows the estimated number of guns by country.
It’s adjusted for population size and it’s still not even close.
OREGON SHOOTER’S FATHER: The question that I would like to ask is how on Earth could
he compile 13 guns? How can that happen?
If you take a look back at the 10 countries with the highest levels of human development,
you can see that it’s relatively really easy to get a gun in the US. All of the other
countries require a license to purchase most guns and those purchases are recorded into
an official registry. To get that license people have to state a reason for why they
want a gun, and in most countries, they have to pass a safety test and are required by
law to store their guns safely.
In part because of its lax laws, there are well over 300 million guns in the US and counting.
This chart doesn’t reflect private sales but it shows the number of background checks,
which all federally licensed dealers have to run. It suggests the demand for guns has
been increasing steeply since Barack Obama took office.
So we’ve looked at gun deaths and at gun ownership. This chart puts them together.
It shows that among highly developed countries, the more guns in a country, the more gun deaths.
You can see that countries like Switzerland, which have relatively more guns than a country
like the Netherlands, also have a higher gun death rate. And here’s the US.
Likewise, US states with more guns have more gun homicides. There are outliers like Idaho,
which has high rates of gun ownership but low rates of gun murders. But overall, there’s
a correlation between gun ownership and homicide rates, and that relationship has held up in
studies that control for things like poverty, unemployment, and crime.
The correlation between gun ownership and gun deaths is even stronger for suicides.
It make sense. Depression with a gun is more dangerous than depression without one.
Likewise, fights, domestic disputes, road rage, drunkenness -- all much more dangerous
with a gun than without.
That said, you might need different policies to keep guns away from potential mass shooters
than you’d need to keep them out of inner city gangs or out of the hands of someone
who might hurt themselves. America doesn’t have a gun problem, it has several of them.
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