Study Reveals Alarming Rise in Teen Gun Carrying in Florida

Alarming Trend in Youth Gun Carrying

• 📈 A new study indicates that 6% of Florida youth have had guns, a significant increase from 3.5% in 2002.
• ⚠️ This represents a more than 65% increase in teen gun carrying over two decades.

Shifting Demographics of Gun Carrying

• 👧 The study found that females showed a higher odds of increase in carrying guns compared to males.
• 🧑‍🎓 Middle school students are arming themselves at higher rates than high school students, indicating a need for earlier prevention.

Prevention and Intervention Programs

• 💬 Local leaders are emphasizing the need for prevention programs to start at a much younger age, even in elementary school.
• 🏫 The slogan "See a gun, run and tell someone" is being used to educate younger children.
• ⚖️ Programs are working with juvenile gun offenders and individuals impacted by gun violence to deter future acts.

Handgun Carrying in Schools

• 🏫 While overall teen gun carrying has increased, the study noted a decrease in handgun carrying within schools, dropping from 1.1% to 4%.
• 🔍 The research used data from the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, surveying over 700,000 students.