How a Public Education campaign can succeed where political activism has failed

Slashing Gun Violence . . .

. . . by shifting the focus from legislation to personal choices about family safety

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WHEN PEOPLE BRING GUNS INTO THEIR HOMES

THEY PUT THEIR FAMILIES AT IMMENSE RISK . . . BUT THEY DON’T KNOW IT

Data show that having access to a gun doubles the risk of homicide and triples the risk of suicide . . . But 2/3’s of Americans believe exactly the opposite

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36% have a family member or friend who is a victim

60% of us know a suicide victim

WE’RE CONFUSED BECAUSE WE’RE LARGELY UNAWARE OF

HOW WIDELY SHARED PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH GUN VIOLENCE IS

The lack of awareness stems partly from the vast underreporting of gun-related suicides

YouGov/Huffington Post survey of 1000 US adults interviewed October 6-7, 2015 on gun control.

In October 2015 SLATE magazine compared the frequency of gun deaths to media coverage of gun deaths. Suicides are in red.

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AS A RESULT, WE’RE UNAWARE THAT WHEN GUNS KILL

WE USE THEM MOSTLY TO KILL OURSELVES & PEOPLE CLOSE TO US

67%23%

7% 3%

In three-quarters of homicides, the perpetrator and victim are related to or know each other

Guns are mostly used to commit suicide – 21,175

Homicides by strangers are rare, just 2,802 out of more than 30,000 gun deaths GUN DEATHS 2013

In nine out of ten gun deaths, the victim is the gun’s owner, a family member, or a friend or acquaintance

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IGNORANCE OF THE RISKS OF GUN OWNERSHIP

RESULTS IN BEHAVIOR THAT INCREASES THE DANGER

. . . a response that puts us at even greater risk

High-profile tragedies cause frightened and confused people to buy more guns

The Newtown, CT massacre

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People can be educated about the risks they impose on themselves and their families when they bring guns into their homes

We can protect ourselves and our families by not bringing guns into our homes

LEGISLATION RESTICTING ACCESS TO GUNS MIGHT HELP

BUT APPEALING DIRECTLY TO PEOPLE MIGHT BE MORE EFFECTIVE & FEASIBLE

By sidestepping the political issue and focusing exclusively on the issue of family safety and personal choice, and public health campaign would . . .

. . . undercut the personal motivation to buy guns while also undermining the political impulse to oppose gun control legislation

A PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGN CAN SUCCEED

JUST AS NOW-ICONIC PUBLIC SERVICE CAMPAIGNS HAVE IN THE PAST

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Because it would communicate the awful consequences of gun ownership in the most personal and visceral way possible