Firearm- and Non-Firearm-Related Homicide among Children

Abstract

Data from 26 industrialized countries are compared to understand the incidence of firearm-related and non-firearm-related homicide among children under 15 years of age. Comparisons were made between rates per 100,000 children for each country and for the United States and all non-U.S. countries combined. It was found that the U.S. rates far exceed those of other countries. The childhood homicide rate is five times higher in the United States than in all of the other countries combined (2.57 versus 0.51). The firearm-related homicide rate for children under 15 years of age is 16 times higher in the United States than in the 25 other countries (0.94 versus 0.06), and the non-firearm-related homicide rate is four times higher (1.63 versus 0.45). These findings suggest the value of conducting further research to explain cross-national differences.