National Teen Gun Survey Highlights Gun Violence As Critical Issue In Children's Lives

6/27/2002

From: Joyce Johnson of the Child Welfare League of America, 202-942-0244; E-mail: Jjohnson@cwla.org

WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The 3rd Annual Uhlich Children's Home Teen Gun Survey was released today at the National Press Club, at a press conference hosted by The Child Welfare League of America. The survey sampled more than 1,000 teens nationwide to gauge their viewpoints about gun violence and school security in the United States. Six teenagers from Uhlich's "Hands Without Guns" project presented the results which reflected gun violence as a continuing, significant problem in the lives of this nation's young people. The survey can be found at www.uhlich.org/gunsurvey.htm

The plus/minus 3 percent margin of error survey, compiled by Teenage Research Unlimited, was conducted in early 2002. It was adjusted to represent an accurate portrayal of teen opinion nationally, including breakdowns for gender, age, ethnicity, and region. Results include the following highlights:

-- 40.9 percent know someone who has been shot. When broken down by race, 60.3 percent of black teens know someone who has been shot, compared to 51.8 percent of Hispanic teens and 33.8 percent of white teens.

-- About a third (36.2 percent) said yes to the statement, "If I really wanted to, I could get a handgun."

-- A majority (70.8 percent) believes that there should be tougher handgun controls and 63.1 percent believe that there are too many handguns in society.

-- 47.7 percent said they did not believe metal detectors in schools make them safer, and 86.3 percent said "no" to the statement, "Teachers and principals should be able to bring handguns to school to protect students."

Shay Bilchik, President and CEO of the Child Welfare League of America, said, "This survey gives us an opportunity to hear the views of young people and it gives our youth a chance to be advocates for themselves. We are proud of the work Uhlich has done that allows teens to speak out on their own behalf. We believe youth should be viewed as part of the solution to the problem of gun violence and victimization - and that as adults we should hold ourselves accountable for protecting them from becoming its victims."

To access a free online copy of an issue brief published by the Child Welfare League of America entitled Youth Gun Violence and Victimization: Prevention, Intervention, and Control and/or additional information on CWLA's juvenile justice initiatives, visit our website at www.cwla.org/programs/juvenilejustice.

Established in 1920, the Child Welfare League of America is the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization. Headquartered in Washington, DC, CWLA strives to advance sound public policy on behalf of the more than three million abused, neglected, and vulnerable children served by its more than 1,175 public and private member agencies. To further its mission of preserving, protecting, and promoting the well-being of all children and families, CWLA conducts research, develops standards of best practice, hosts regional and national conferences, provides comprehensive, field-based consultation and professional development services, and is the largest publisher of child welfare materials in North America.