In-person and media gun violence exposure in the United States: prevalence and disparities in a nationally representative, cross-sectional sample of adults.

Abstract

Knowledge remains limited about how people experience different types of exposure to gun violence. We analyzed the prevalence of in-person and media gun violence exposure (GVE) in a nationally representative sample of US adults. Data were collected from 8009 US adults in May 2024, using design weights for representativeness. We measured in-person GVE, including direct (e.g., being shot) and indirect (e.g., hearing gunshots) exposures, along with frequency of exposure via traditional and social media. Exposures were analyzed by racial/ethnic group and household income. Multivariable associations were estimated using weighted multilevel mixed-effects regression models. Significant racial/ethnic disparities in GVE were observed. Black Americans reported higher prevalence of all individual exposures (e.g., 38.5% of Black Americans [N = 337] know a family member or friend who has been shot vs. 25.53% of Hispanic Americans [N = 265] and 15.78% of White Americans [N = 849]), except firearm suicide. Black adults had higher media GVE, and neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage was consistently linked to greater in-person exposure. Racial/ethnic disparities remained in multivariable models, including cumulative in-person exposure (Black beta [β] = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.17-0.41, p < 0.0001; Hispanic β = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.03-0.24, p = 0.018) and high media exposure (Black odds ratio [OR] = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.20-2.05, p = 0.001). Nearly two-thirds of US adults have experienced in-person gun violence. Marked racial/ethnic disparities for both in-person and media GVE call for comprehensive strategies to reduce gun violence. Authors are affiliated with the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, funded by the NJ Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.