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The current social problem facing the United is the increasing gun violence. Nowadays, the most common violence is the rising mass shooting conducted using military-style rifles. Mass shootings have become a symbol of Americans' obsession with guns, including the high-powered ones, and the preference of many people to solve arising violence by gun. Active shooter incidents have escalated rapidly for two decades after numerous students and teachers were murdered at Columbine High School in 1999. Since then, active shooter and mass shootings scenarios have continued to portray a profoundly emotional and unresolved debate over the number of guns and weapon control policies implemented in the United States (Wamser-Nanney, 2021). Gun violence can affect anyone and at any time of the day, but research indicates that gun violence disproportionately affects marginalized communities, women, and communities of color. Gun violence has left many traumatizing marks on individuals, such that the presence of anyone with a weapon makes them feel threatened and fearful for their lives. As a result, gun violence has left long-term mental and psychological issues the individuals and communities.

The increasing fear of mass shootings, especially in public areas such as learning institutions, is making many students live in fear of being attacked, which plays an integral role in affecting the quality and right of education. Also, numerous cases of gun violence have been reported to take place in healthcare facilities. As a result, many fear visiting this facility for fear of getting attacked. Issues of gun violence began escalating wildly in 2017 when approximately 134,000 individuals were injured and shot using firearms 2017. In 2020 the center for disease control records that 45,222 people lost their lives from gun-related injuries in the United States. Although deaths arising from gun suicide and murders tend to attract minimal attention from the public, the Center for Disease Control warns that they still contribute to many deaths recorded in the United States. For example, in 2020 alone, the center states that 54% of the gun-related demises were suicides which were 24,292, and 43% were murdered, representing 19,384 (Pew Research.com). The remaining number was 535, which were ruled unintentional, 611 involved law enforcement officers, and 400 were undetermined.

The consequences of gun violence are that it instills life-changing impacts on the victim's body. The results are physical and extend to mental care, leaving some of them in dire need of permanent and long-term care. Many people lose the ability to care for their families, especially those who previously worked physically demanding jobs. In the form of mass shootings, gun violence results in the loss of many innocent lives, which is a significant blow to the entire economy (Smith et al., 2020). Apart from that, the increasing cases of gun violence are exposing even young children to these traumatizing events, which will threaten their future lives. For instance, many youths from gun violence-dominated regions strongly believe that the only way to resolve violence is by using a weapon. Such a mentality is unsuitable for a responsible generation.

References

Smith, M. E., Sharpe, T. L., Richardson, J., Pahwa, R., Smith, D., & DeVylder, J. (2020). The impact of exposure to gun violence fatality on mental health outcomes in four urban US settings. Social Science & Medicine, 246, 112587.

Wamser-Nanney, R. (2021). Understanding gun violence: Factors associated with beliefs regarding guns, gun policies, and gun violence. Psychology of Violence, 11(4), 349.