Citation

Klein D, Reizen MS, van Amburg GH, Walker SA. Accid. Anal. Prev. 1977; 9(3): 177-182.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1977, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The demographic characteristics of young gunshot fatalities, the type of gun involved, and the social situation surrounding the death were investigated through an analysis of all death certificates and 77% of the birth certificates for Michigan victims under the age of 16 from 1970 through 1975. Blacks are heavily overrepresented in the mortality data, and information on the education, occupation and age-parity status of the victims' parents suggest that gunshot mortality rates are directly related to low socioeconomic status. Police reports indicate that the guns involved seem to have been acquired preponderantly for self-protection rather than for hunting, target-shooting or criminal purposes. All the victims of hand-gun accidents were urban residents.