Wounded adolescences: a portrait of firearm violence reported in Brazil.

Isabella Vitral Pinto,Paula Bevilacqua,Ana Pereira dos Santos,Vinícius Oliveira de Moura Pereira,Deborah Carvalho Malta,Adalgisa Peixoto Ribeiro,Sheila Aparecida Ferreira Lachtim

doi:10.1590/1980-549720200002.supl.1

Abstract

To describe the notifications of interpersonal and self-inflicted firearm violence in adolescents and to identify the factors associated with the notification of this event. Cross-sectional study analyzing data from Sinan from 2011 to 2017, in adolescents aged 10-19 years, injured by firearms. The χ2 test was used to verify the gender ratio difference. Correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were performed between the logarithm of the firearm notification rate and each independent variable, in a sample of large municipalities. There were 30,103 reports of firearm violence in adolescents, of which (74.7%) were males aged 15-19 years (83.8%). Among girls, violence is more common at home, with a known perpetrator, and with physical and sexual violence combined. The death rate by firearms was higher in Fortaleza, Maceió, João Pessoa, Salvador and Natal, ranging from 105.88 to 71.73 per 100 thousand. Higher notification rates of firearm violence were associated with higher firearm death rates and greater coverage of health facilities. Firearm violence is a major public health problem in adolescents. Attacks on the disarmament statute and the loosening of gun possession and ownership directly confront the present and future of children and adolescents.

Highlights

Adolescence is considered a moratorium phase[1], in which takes place the transition from childhood life and its protections to the arrival of adulthood, with its responsibilities
This study aimed to describe notifications of firearm violence in adolescents registered with Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN) and to identify the demographic, socioeconomic and health factors associated with the notifications of these events
59,095 notifications were identified whose means of aggression were firearms, 30,103 (50.9%) of which involved adolescents; on average, there were 11 notifications of adolescents targeted each day in Brazil

Summary

Introduction

Adolescence is considered a moratorium phase[1], in which takes place the transition from childhood life and its protections to the arrival of adulthood, with its responsibilities. A considerable part of Brazilian adolescents experience situations of violence that put their healthy development at risk. Firearm mortality rates predominate in the 20 to 24 age group, followed by the 15 to 19 age group[3]. Even though it represents only 24.6% of the country’s total population, the 15 to 29 age group concentrated 54.5% of the total homicide victims in 20174

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Results

Conclusion