"There are numerous preconceived notions about this topic, as well as profound concerns on how gun violence is altering the life course of residents, family members, neighborhoods, and the nation as a whole. Some of these notions will be widely embraced while others may enjoy limited acceptance. Regardless of stance, we can acknowledge that gun violence undermines a quest for a healthy and productive life. Further, making this book urban focused, has race and socio-economic class assume prominence bringing a social justice and equity lens (Zakrison, Williams, & Crandall, 2021)"--
The Silent Epidemic of Gun Injuries explains the effects of injuries from gun violence in the United States. Through case studies and statistics, Melvin Delgado explores the physical and emotional effects of gun injuries as well as their social, cultural, and economic impact on communities. Further, he explains how communities and social work professionals can respond to the epidemic of gun injuries.
Ecologically-focused interventions have taken center stage in addressing a range of social problems. This book synthesizes the latest research and theoretical advances of these approaches to offer multiple urban green revitalization strategies for combatting gun violence that is primarily impacting African-American/Black, Asian-American, and Latinx urban communities across the nation. Solutions include the introduction of greenspaces (greening), conversion of distressed buildings and vacant lots, and other structural changes to a community. This resource provides readers with a centralized place to draw upon research findings and includes illustrative case studies. Current and future social workers and other helping professionals will be able to work more effectively with the communities of color they serve to bolster interventions and advocate against gun violence.
Traumatic brain injury is one of the most difficult and challenging management problems facing clinicians. Research is increasingly clarifying the underlying physiological mechanisms involved in neuronal damage, offering the chance of better methods of diagnosis and treatment.This second edition of Head Injury contains detailed coverage of basic me
The majority of gun deaths in the United States are suicide deaths, and the majority of suicide deaths are gun deaths. Most people are unaware that suicide, at nearly 43,000 deaths per year, is more common than homicide and other widely publicized tragedies. And yet, suicide is typically absent from discussions of gun violence. As such, the national conversation on gun violence is inadequate and unrelated to the majority of gun deaths in this country. In Guns and Suicide, Michael Anestis reframes our perspective on gun violence by shifting the focus to suicide. Guns play a uniquely profound role in American suicide, and Anestis explains how they have this effect-not by making otherwise non-suicidal people want to die, but by facilitating suicide attempts among suicidal individuals. He reviews the evidence - in suicide and other public health concerns - that focusing on specific means for contracting an unwanted outcome (e.g., HIV) can successfully reduce the frequency of that outcome. With suicide, this could mean the passage of legislation related to firearm ownership and storage, non-legislative encouragement of safe storage of private firearms, voluntary and temporary removal of firearms from the home during times of distress, or a combination of these factors. Importantly, this is not a book about gun control. Anestis does not argue in favor of tighter restrictions on ownership, assault weapon bans, or longer waiting periods for purchase because these will not substantially reduce the staggering gun suicide rate. Rather, Anestis aims for a cultural shift towards suicide-specific safe gun ownership and puts forth unemotional suggestions in hopes of leveraging common ground in the pursuit of a lower suicide rate.
Mendels Garden Revisited is a collection of medical essays spanning several years. Topics range from child abuse to prostate cancer, mosquito-borne diseases, and the tragedy of direct-to-consumer marketing. While most are straightforward descriptions of current medical conditions of interest, many explore the complex relationship of social determinants and health outcomes. Medical topics become outdated almost before they are printed. These articles are no exception. Although there has been a sincere attempt to report the most current data, that information changes almost daily. At best, this collection is a snapshot in time, perhaps more of interest to sociologists and historians than to doctors or medical students. Written for the lay public, it remains accessible to any reader.
The face of the pedestrian safety crisis looks a lot like Ignacio Duarte-Rodriguez. The 77-year old grandfather was struck in a hit-and-run crash while trying to cross a high-speed, six-lane road without crosswalks near his son’s home in Phoenix, Arizona. He was one of the more than 6,000 people killed while walking in America in 2018. In the last ten years, there has been a 50 percent increase in pedestrian deaths. The tragedy of traffic violence has barely registered with the media and wider culture. Disproportionately the victims are like Duarte-Rodriguez—immigrants, the poor, and people of color. They have largely been blamed and forgotten. In Right of Way, journalist Angie Schmitt shows us that deaths like Duarte-Rodriguez’s are not unavoidable “accidents.” They don’t happen because of jaywalking or distracted walking. They are predictable, occurring in stark geographic patterns that tell a story about systemic inequality. These deaths are the forgotten faces of an increasingly urgent public-health crisis that we have the tools, but not the will, to solve. Schmitt examines the possible causes of the increase in pedestrian deaths as well as programs and movements that are beginning to respond to the epidemic. Her investigation unveils why pedestrians are dying—and she demands action. Right of Way is a call to reframe the problem, acknowledge the role of racism and classism in the public response to these deaths, and energize advocacy around road safety. Ultimately, Schmitt argues that we need improvements in infrastructure and changes to policy to save lives. Right of Way unveils a crisis that is rooted in both inequality and the undeterred reign of the automobile in our cities. It challenges us to imagine and demand safer and more equitable cities, where no one is expendable.
