States that require universal background checks at the point of firearm sales had significantly lower rates of youth who carry firearms.
Even though adolescents are prohibited from purchasing guns, guns can be obtained through “straw purchase” or from family or friends. Firearms are involved in roughly 86% of homicides and 43% of suicides among youth and young adults. In 1998, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) was implemented. Using data from the National Youth Risk Behaviors Survey (a nationally representative sample of students in grades 9 to 12) from 1993 to 2017, researchers determined whether the NICS in combination with state laws requiring universal background checks reduced gun carrying by adolescents.
On average, 6% of students in grades 9 to 12 carried guns during the study period. Older adolescents (16 to 18 years), males, and whites were…
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresGrant/Research SupportNIH Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality National Center for Pediatric Practice Based Research Learning; Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Editorial BoardsCurrent Problems in Pediatric Adolescent Healthcare
Leadership Positions in Professional Societies College of Physicians of Philadelphia (Board of Trustees)
DisclosuresGrant/Research SupportNIH Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality National Center for Pediatric Practice Based Research Learning; Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Editorial BoardsCurrent Problems in Pediatric Adolescent Healthcare
Leadership Positions in Professional Societies College of Physicians of Philadelphia (Board of Trustees)