Using data from acoustic-detection sensors, a new study found alarming spatial patterns of gun-violence exposure along walkable routes to and from schools in Englewood, Chicago. Children heading to and from school in Englewood, on the south side of Chicago, are heavily dependent on public transit and walking, because about half of residents live in households without vehicular access. Those walking routes are through violence-prone areas.
In 2022, the Englewood area accounted for about 10% of all gun violence that occurred across the city. In 2022, more children were shot in Englewood than any other neighborhood in Chicago, making it among the most dangerous places in the United States for children to live. Beyond shooting incidents, researchers wanted to know more about how much children in Englewood might be affected by hearing gunshots and other indirect ways of experiencing gun violence.
The study was published in November in SSM - Population Health, the online, peer-reviewed journal. Researcher Gia Barboza-Salerno led the study, working alongside Sharefa Duhaney and Hexin Yang, all from the College of Public Health at Ohio State University in Columbus.
Acoustic-sensor data used for the study detected 610 gunshots fired in Englewood during the 2021–2022 school year on days when school was in session. The number of gunshots fired increased throughout the school day and was highest during the afternoon commute.
Of the 610 gunshots detected by acoustic sensors, 52% took place during the afternoon commute between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., and 12% took place on the morning commute between 6 a.m.–9 a.m. The median number of rounds fired was 3.
The highest counts were on Wednesdays in October and Mondays in December.
The number of confirmed gunshots recorded by acoustic sensors was four times what police officially recorded through official investigations during that same time period.
Gun violence also clusters along streets near schools, the data showed, in an echo of findings from other, unrelated gun-violence studies. During the 2021-2022 school year; 40% and 62% of Englewood schools had at least one gunshot fired within 400 meters during the morning and afternoon commutes, respectively, according to the study.
Children living in the most disadvantaged environments, such as those in poverty, are more likely to walk to school, the authors emphasize. ”But we know very little about direct and indirect violence exposure during travel times before and after school.”
To more effectively reduce violence exposure for youth who walk to school in violence-prone neighborhoods, the study’s authors say, the narrative around ‘school gun violence’ must go beyond official police-case data, to consider the broader total of exposures to gun violence that occur in proximity to school boundaries,
The School Shooting Safety and Preparedness Act (H.R. 5428, 2021) already directs the U.S. Department of Education to collect and report on school safety indicators, including demographics, the authors note. But for that data collection, they argue, the definition of school gun violence must be revised to include witnessing and hearing gun violence.
Existing definitions overlook the threat of physical harm or injury, which has the same effect on youth as direct gun violence exposure, say the authors, who believe that the DOE’s definition should be broadened to include shootings within 400 m of a school will be more effective in reducing the impact of indirect gun violence exposure.
The study’s data could also inform policing strategy, the authors contend. “Our results should alert lawmakers and policymakers to refocus resources on violence prevention rather than targeting the top 1% of perpetrators in violence-prone areas.”
Nationally, gun violence exposure is a significant public health crisis in the United States. In 2022, the National Center for Education Statistics reported 188 school shootings with injuries or fatalities—the highest annual count on record. Exposure to school gun violence is strongly linked to poor academic and social outcomes, including lower scores on standardized math and English tests, increased absenteeism, decreased enrollment, and lower graduation rates.
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