Gun violence in US schools linked to unemployment

When people come out of schools and find no jobs, the disappointment and despondecy that develops among them leads to gun violence in the schools, a new study based on a quarter-century of data has found.

The study conducted by researchers in Northwestern University found a persistent connection over time between unemployment and the occurrence of school shootings in the country.

"Our study indicates that rising gun violence in schools can result from disappointment and despair during periods of increased unemployment, when getting an education does not necessarily lead to finding work," researchers said in the study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

Frequent school shootings have been a major concern in the US for decades, but the reason and motives behind them have defied understanding.

"Our findings highlight the importance of economic opportunity for the next generation and suggest there are proactive actions we could take as a society to help decrease the frequency of gun violence," said Pah, clinical assistant professor at Northwestern University.

During the peak of unemployment, increased gun violence may be growing risk in US colleges and universities.

"Most shootings are targeted, with the shooter intending to harm a specific person.

Gang-related violence and lone mass shooters comprise only small fractions of the gun violence that occurs at the US schools. Gang-related violence constitutes 6.6 per cent of all incidents," the study noted.

--IANS

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