#  Gun Violence Among U.S. Adolescents 

 





A public poster series visually depicting the harsh realities of gun injuries and their impacts on adolescents in the U.S.



 

November 10, 2022

 

 

## Artist

Merlin D’souza (2022)

## Caption

Having guns in the home increases your likelihood of dying by suicide and homicide. In the U.S., firearm fatalities are the third leading cause of death in the age range of 0-17 years. 1300 deaths and 5790 injuries are caused by firearms every year. These health challenges are likely to only increase in 2022 and beyond, with reports of gun ownership and first-time purchases of guns increasing. 7.5 million adults purchased guns from January 1, 2019, to April 26, 2021, exposing 5 million children to a firearm. During the Covid pandemic alone, unintentional deaths among children increased 30% in 2020 from 2019.

   ![Outline of gun with text inside and an open lock.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10866/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/2025-08/DsouzaMerlin_Gun1_0.jpg?itok=QLCkwFMX) 

 

   ![Child reaching for a gun on a table.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10866/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/2025-08/DsouzaMerlin_Gun2.jpg?itok=2rYx9UCM) 

 

   ![Learn how you can protect your family infographic.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10866/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/2025-08/DsouzaMerlin_Gun3.jpg?itok=vskHPy_s) 

 

## Artist Lens

Shown are a series of posters intended to visually depict the harsh realities of gun injuries and consequences for adolescents in the United States. Gun violence is in the top 10 causes of death for adolescents. Posters are an easier way to showcase this information publicly. In the United States, the topic of guns is charged with feelings of protectiveness; people who own a gun might not seek out this information if it was on a website, so these posters can be placed in public areas to hopefully confront some realities. Every medium has its faults, but the posters make it easy to grab facts on the go. The images hopefully invoke a feeling of protectiveness and motivate people to learn more about how they can protect their families. The first poster is meant to confront the viewer with platitudes often said, but the facts that contradict the feeling of safety, these statements of school learning or "my child would never…" provide. The second poster is intended to visually depict a scenario of danger, an innocent child reaching for a gun that is not locked. Commonly, guns are not locked, and in movies and shows are often placed in bedside tables. The last poster is meant to inform the viewer how they can protect their family. This information was taken from the Massachusetts General Hospital.

## Media

Digital

[Download Gun Violence Among U.S. Adolescents PDF](/file_url/629)



 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ Violence/Injuries ](/topics/violence-injuries)
- [ Poster ](/type/poster)
 
 

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