Executive Summary
As of April 28th, 2023, there have been 172 mass shootings and 13, 606 deaths attributed to firearms. Gun violence has been identified as a public health problem. Identifying and advancing effective and just policies to reduce gun violence requires an understanding of existing research, and a basis for considering new innovative approaches. Public health professionals have been called upon to tackle this crisis. Consistent, ongoing preparation of public health students is imperative. Gun violence is a multifaced, intricate issue that requires comprehension of policy both at a state and federal level, timely research, data, funding, identification of risk factors among communities, and evidence-based interventions that are non-stigmatizing. Topic specific courses need to be mandatory in public health programs. It is crucial that colleges and universities who offer public health degrees offer opportunities for all students, to learn about gun violence successes, roadblocks and opportunities. The purpose of this policy brief is to urge the Council of Education of Public Health (CEPH), to mandate institutions seeking CEPH accreditation, to develop and include a curriculum that focuses on the gun violence epidemic within their public health programs.
The Role of Public Health Education in the Prevention of Gun Violence
Gloria Encarnacion BSN, RN-BC, MPH Candidate | Faculty adviser: Dr. Chanapong Rojanaworarit
Stakeholders
• Public health students, students in healthcare
• Gen Z and Millennials, makeup most current college aged and grad school students, rank gun violence as a top concern in their lives and reported thinking about mass shootings at least once a week
• Everyone
Existing Policy Situation
• One Health's mandatory addition to the public health curriculums educates on the connection among human health, animal health and the health of the ecosystem. Instructing on the importance of collaboration between health disciplines and institutions (governmental, research, healthcare). Gun violence should be treated in the same manner.
• Institutions are focused on public health issues impacting society today such as:
• Centers of Social Justice
• Climate change/justicet has been recently tackled by numerous institutions that are offering certifications, sustainability courses, and climate change policy courses. There’s even an entire school dedicated to “developing and inspiring knowledge-based solutions and educate future leaders”.
Proposed Policy- Recommendations
• CEPH mandated courses that provide students with an overview of gun violence-that depicts statistics, facts and epidemiology of gun violence.
• Courses for non-law students- insight and analysis of laws that affect individual rights and public health with a focus on gun policies, federal and state laws.
• Research, schools can go one step further and invest in a research institution with a focus on the role of guns in both homicides and suicides.
• Facilitating internships so that students can learn about this issue and the current efforts i.e. Gun Violence Prevention Centers. There is a dire need for prepared public health students so that research, data, policy and strategies surrounding gun violence and injury lead to implementation of evidence-based interventions. It is the responsibility of the CEPH to empower and encourage institutions to provide the training and opportunities needed for Public Health students to help eradicate this public health problem.
Conclusion
References
2021, https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-gunviolence-prevention-and-policy/education/.
“Columbia Scientific Union for the Reduction of Gun Violence.” Columbia Scientific Union for the Reduction of Gun Violence, https://www.columbiasurge.org/.
“Gun Violence Archive.” Gun Violence Archive, https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports/massshooting.
“One Health Basics.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8 Nov. 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/index.html.
Project Unloaded. (2022, September 28). New survey reveals gen z more worried about gun violence than climate change or access to abortion. Project Unloaded. Retrieved from https://www.projectunloaded.org/press/new-survey-reveals-gen-z-more-worried-about-gunviolence-than-climate-change-or-access-to-abortion
Canono, Jayvie, and JH Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy- Education.” Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 1 Mar.