A call to action on the issue of gun violence

In response to the historical devastation of mass shootings in the United States, including the recent mass shooting of 19 innocent children in Uvalde, TX, Violence and Gender Editor-in-Chief Mary Ellen O'Toole, Ph.D. has issued an immediate call to action for superior gun control laws and legislation.

"We've waited long enough," says Dr. O'Toole. "This political football must stop. Our children are being killed and the laws must be changed now. We can no longer normalize these behaviors or expect our children to be the victims on the front lines. The research is clear and we must continue to stay educated, relentless, and vigilant in our quest for the future of our country."

In support of Dr. O'Toole's mission, Violence and Gender is providing free access to the following special issues spanning themes including gun ownership, beliefs about gun control and gun ownership, and gun policy, among others.

Special Issue on Gun Violence: Part I

Special Issue on Gun Violence: Part II

"Gun violence against our families and our children must be addressed aggressively," echoes Mary Ann Liebert, Publisher of Violence and Gender and president and CEO of the company that bears her name. "The current recommendations for gun control reformation are pitiful given the extent of the loss of lives we've seen in schools. Legislators, policy makers, educators, and civilians who refuse to acknowledge the extent of the problem of gun violence should subscribe to Violence and Gender and educate themselves by reading the published, academic research on systematic gun violence in our country. The research is clear and journals such as Violence and Gender couldn't be more important to support real and lasting change. We must remain educated and informed to collectively make the best decisions for our families and our future."

Emphasizing this call to action, Dr. Anna Satterfield, Deputy Editor, adds, "The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in the United States in 2020, there were 45,222 firearm-related deaths of which 54 percent were suicides and 43 percent were homicides. Despite various versions of enacted laws to reduce gun violence, laws and regulations continue to miss the mark of what we understand about those that use firearms as weapons. Until we actively enforce a balance between effective gun control laws and effective gun violence prevention/intervention and risk-reduction programs, the United States will remain an outlier in firearm-related deaths compared to other countries."