Studies show surge in child homicides in 2020

March for Life rally
(Image credit: Citizens of the Planet / Contributor/ Getty Images)

Scientists behind two recent studies reported that the rates of homicides of children rose significantly in 2020, The New York Times reports. The rate of children injured by guns also increased as the COVID-19 pandemic spread.

The first study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, highlighted the trends in homicide rates for juveniles aged 0-17. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the rate of children killed in the U.S. increased by about 28 percent in 2020 from 2.2 per 100,000 in 2019 to 2.8 per 100,000 in 2020. Black children and children in the southern United States make up the majority of the homicides, and most of the children are brought to hospitals with gun injuries. The data also revealed that homicide is the leading cause of death for American children.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Theara Coleman, The Week US

Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.