Stanford Health Policy is a joint effort of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Stanford School of Medicine
The Lasting Impact of School Shootings on Those Who Survive Them
Maya Rossin-Slater and colleagues write in The Conversation that their research shows survivors of school shootings like the one in Uvalde, Texas, suffer long-term health, economic and financial burdens from their trauma.
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As the U.S. reels from another school shooting, much of the public discussion has centered on the lives lost: 19 children and two adults. Indeed, the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas is the second deadliest such incident on record, after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.
Since the Columbine massacre in 1999 in which two teenagers killed a dozen students and one teacher, at least 185 children, educators and others have been killed by gun violence at American schools, according to figures compiled by The Washington Post.
But this death toll captures only one part of the immense cost of gun violence in American schools. We have studied the long-term effects of school shootings on the health, education and economic futures of those who survive such incidents. Our research shows that despite often escaping without physical harm, the hundreds of thousands of children and educators who survive these tragedies carry scars that affect their lives for many years to come.
In a 2020 study, we analyzed 44 school shootings that took place in the U.S. between 2008 and 2013 to assess the impact the incidents had on students’ mental health. Using a unique data set documenting antidepressant prescriptions in the surrounding areas, we found that antidepressant use among youth near schools that experienced shootings increased by over 20% following the event.
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News
Californians Living with Handgun Owners Twice as Likely to Die by Homicide
In the largest cohort study of its kind, research led by SHP's David Studdert and Yifan Zhang shows that people living with handgun owners are significantly more likely to die by homicide compared with neighbors in gun-free homes.
Q&As
The Real Benefits of Paid Family Leave
Paid family leave is not a “silver bullet” for advancing gender equity in the workplace, says Maya Rossin-Slater, but it is beneficial for family health and well-being outcomes, particularly infant and maternal health and overall financial stability.
News
New Study of Gun Violence in Schools Identifies Long-Term Harms
The most comprehensive study of American children who experience gun violence at school finds they are less likely to graduate from high school or enroll in college — and less likely to hold a job as a young adult. Co-authored by SHP's Maya Rossin-Slater, the researchers estimate a loss in lifetime income of $115,550 per shooting-exposed student.