The League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area Social Justice Team is proud to host Dr. Ruthmae Sears and her study committee members as they present the findings of the St. Petersburg Structural Racism Study for participants. Register now!
It’s a safe assumption that most people can acknowledge the importance of education as it pertains to near every facet of our lives. Education is critical to our meritocratic concept of the American dream and social mobility, the continued facilitation of our democratic goals, and to producing innovative and exceptional talent.
When considering how racism and education might interact, a common starting place is typically Brown v. Board of Education which declared the “separate but equal” standard unconstitutional. However, separate and unequal has remained the tradition for American public schools.
Today, these schools are just as or more segregated than they were in the 1960s. The Economic Policy Institute even finds that Black children are five times more likely to attend highly segregated schools than white children. Or as Brookings details, two-thirds of minority students still attend schools that are predominantly comprised of minority students.
Let us discuss how housing and education are tied to one another. We understand now that specific government action paired with interpersonal violence was used to segregate this nation. If our nation denied emancipated slaves an economic basis, specifically designated portions of our cities for minorities, industrialized those areas in a purposeful attempt to craft poorer living conditions, barred equal entry to the labor force, and met Black success with violence – it should serve as no surprise that those neighborhoods remain in comparable conditions today.
In most states, not even the highest-achieving Black and Hispanic students get access to algebra in the eighth grade, although it is more commonplace for their white peers.
Kati Haycock, president of the Education Trust
The legacy of such practices continues to be felt in education due, in large part, to the fact that schools are funded by property and locally raised taxes. The condition of neighborhoods, and thus the implementation of deliberate impoverishment, have a direct impact on the schools associated with a given neighborhood. Today, predominantly white school districts receive $23 billion more per year than their non-white counterparts. Thus, not only was a specific campaign led to the erosion of the general quality of minority communities but specifically, the education afforded to their residents.
The crippling nature of this underfunding impacts a number of measures essential to academic success. These schools tend to have minimal instructional resources; fewer high-quality books, scanty labs and computers, larger classes, and incomplete curriculums. Kati Haycock, president of the Education Trust, noted that when you analyze higher-level math class enrollment, “In most states, not even the highest-achieving black and Hispanic students get access to algebra in the eighth grade, although it’s more commonplace for their white peers.”
Schools with denser populations of minority students have also consistently been found employing underqualified teachers with less education, less training, less experience, and are less likely to be certified. A relevant study found that students who spent three years in a row with an ineffective teacher, whom minority students are twice as likely to be assigned to, score approximately 50 percentile points lower on academic assessments.
The research that served as the basis for the Brown v. Board of Education decision laid bare the ever-present bias within our systems which consistently reproduce an association between blackness and various negative traits. This remains in effect today as we see that Black children are disproportionately punished within schools. As early as preschool, Black children are more likely to be suspended than their white counterparts, representing 18% of the preschool population but near half of the suspensions. Further on in their schooling, Black children are expelled from school at a rate three times that of their white peers.
As police presence in schools becomes more prevalent, research is ultimately found to be inconclusive as to whether their presence has any impact on school safety, but they are associated with an increase in disciplinary action and arrests. Despite Black students representing approximately 15% of overall enrollment in the 2013-14 school year, they made up about one-third of in-school arrests. Black students consistently face these consequences at greater rates even when they’ve enacted the same or less serious actions than white students.
Despite Black students representing approximately 15% of overall enrollment in the 2013-14 school year, they made up about one-third of in-school arrests.
Education Week
The prevalence of comprehensive sex education amongst America’s public schools represents a crisis in and of itself. These programs are essential for crafting well-rounded conceptions of both consent and self-worth, in addition to equipping young people with the understanding necessary to avoid the harms and stigma of STIs, STDs, and unwanted pregnancies. The puritanical standards of sex ed in America have resulted in readily apparent harm inflicted, particularly on communities of color. One study found that STI rates for Black people were at least four times higher than that of white people. Pinellas County presents a particularly pressing epidemic regarding HIV and AIDS with the rate being 7.8 times higher for Black residents than white. Further, the general county rates have decreased since 2011-13, but this disproportionate ratio has increased.
K-12 public schools have the opportunity to incorporate practical lesson planning revolving around food consumption. This is yet another area where schools are failing children in general, but paired with the lack of food security within minority communities this presents yet another for health equity. We will discuss the specific barriers to accessibility for food later on. This includes what they can do and how this will change things.
There is much work to do when it comes to addressing education as a social determinant of health–specifically when we focus on the racial disparities created by the education system.
We tend to think of racism as discriminatory and hateful actions that occur between individuals, but it’s important to understand how racism becomes embedded in the very social structures that are meant to protect us. This can be difficult to understand and there are many factors to consider that are all connected to one another. There are also various other institutions that interact with white supremacy that compound its effects; this is known as intersectionality. In this series, however, we will be specifically deconstructing the impact that racism has on the system of public health.
(more…)We believe that gun violence is a public health crisis and that we must figure out ways to live with guns while 1) employing measures to make them safer and 2) keeping them out of the hands of those who may cause harm to themselves or others. We’ve examined a few of the programs which seek to address these issues at the local level.
Goal: To reduce violent crime and gang violence through a strategy of prevention, intervention and suppression.
History: First demonstrated as Operation Ceasefire in Boston in 1996. The original strategy was sponsored by the National Institute of Justice and co-directed by David M. Kennedy, Anthony Braga and Anne M. Piehl of Harvard University. The program is now affiliated with the National Network for Safe Communities and has been implemented nationally in over 30 cities. Different cities call the program by different titles.
Facts You Should Know:
Core Elements of Program: GVI has repeatedly demonstrated that violence can be dramatically reduced when a partnership of community members, law enforcement and social service providers directly engages with the small and active number of people involved in street groups and clearly communicates a credible moral message against violence, prior notice about the consequences of further violence, and a genuine offer of help for those who want it. Research on the GVI method has found a profound connection between serious violence and highly active criminal groups. A typical city-level finding is that groups representing under 0.5% of the city’s population will be connected as offenders, victims or both in 50-75% of all homicides in the city.
Evaluations:
* The majority of cities participating in GVI programs reported reductions in homicides and shootings. In Boston, the city that developed Ceasefire, the average monthly number of youth homicides dropped by 63 percent in the two years after it was launched. In Pittsburgh, homicides hit a 12 year low in 2017. In Newburgh NY, shootings went from 55 victims in 2015 to 17 in 2017. Oakland CA began the program in 2012 with 126 murders; in 2017 the total was 74. New Haven CT went from 13 homicides in 2016 to 7 in 2017. Law enforcement officials credit GVI strategy for the declines.
* A Campbell Collaboration systematic review of focused deterrence strategies known as “pulling levers” found a statistically significant positive effect on reducing crime. Group/ gang intervention programs had the largest effect.
* The National Institute of Justice’s Crime Solutions website gives the program its highest evidence rating, one of few programs which received the designation. Details at www.crimesolutions.gov
For More Information:
The Youth Guidance organization creates and implements school-based programs to help youth overcome obstacles, focus on education, and succeed in life.
Evaluation: A study by the University of Chicago Urban Lab covering the period from 2013-2015 showed a 50% reduction in violent crime arrests, a 35% reduction in total arrests, and increased on-time high school graduation of 19% in areas where the program operates.
For more information:
The program operates on the premise that like an infectious disease, violence is better understood and more successfully treated as an epidemic. Violence is treated using methods and strategies associated with disease control. Methods include: deleting and interrupting transmission/conflicts, identifying and treating high-risk individuals to reduce disease/violence, and changing community & social mores.
Evaluations:
There have been numerous independent studies of Cure Violence programs documenting the results of the programs. For example: The John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City research and evaluation of Cure Violence, NYC in 2017 showed there was a 30% reduction in shootings compared to previous years, a 37-50% reduction in gun injuries in two of the communities participating, and a 63% reduction in one other community. There was also an 18% reduction in killings across 13 Cure Violence sites.
For information on other studies, visit http://cureviolence.org/results/scientific-evaluations/
We have a problem:
A 2016 survey by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health concluded that 54% of gun owners do not practice safe storage. 1/3 of handguns are kept loaded and unlocked. 75% of guns used in youth suicide attempts and unintentional shootings are stored in the residence of the victim, relative or friend.
To reduce firearm injury, the safest home is one without firearms. If firearms are in a home, locking, unloading, and separating ammunition can significantly reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of a child being harmed.
Key characteristics of effective campaigns:
One model program is the Broward Co. FL’s Lock-It Up program started in 2018 by the local League of Women Voters. They’ve formed a broad coalition of pediatricians, mental health providers, preschools, churches, organizations like Moms Demand Action, and governmental institutions. Visit our Legislation post for effective legislative solutions.
While we can’t solve this dilemma exclusively through legislation, we know that some legislation is highly effective at reducing gun violence, deaths, and injuries. What works/what doesn’t?
While Americans remain sharply divided about gun control, individual proposals are widely favored. The most popular and effective gun control legislation measures, like universal background checks and keeping guns from violent criminals, are supported by 85% of registered voters.
Gun rights and public safety can co-exist. The majority of gun owners support reasonable restrictions including a requirement for criminal background checks, assault weapon bans, waiting periods for gun purchase and campus carry bans.
An armed citizenry does not reduce crime. Among 27 developed countries, there is no significant correlation between guns per capita and the crime rate.
Much firearm violence isn’t a criminal problem but stems from the unregulated distribution of a dangerous consumer product. Since the 1970s, Congress has explicitly prohibited the Consumer Product Safety Commission from regulating and overseeing the design of firearms and ammunition; toy guns are regulated by the CPSC. The 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Guns Act protects gun manufacturers against liability claims.
Strengthening background checks and extreme risk protection orders are among the most effective ways to keep firearms away from dangerous people. In the three years after Missouri eliminated its permit requirement in 2007, gun homicide rates increased 25%. The law’s repeal was associated with an increased annual murder rate of 14%. Conversely, Connecticut’s gun homicide rate fell 29% percent in the 18 years after it began requiring permits in 1995.
Stand Your Ground laws increase homicide rates while resulting in no corresponding reduction in criminal activity. Nonetheless, Florida’s Stand Your Ground legislation was expanded in 2017, shifting the burden of proof to prosecutors in pretrial hearings and removing the requirement that a person must first be attacked in their home or vehicle before using or threatening to use force.
Safety measures reduce firearm deaths. Massachusetts requires guns to be locked; youth suicides are 35% below the national average.
Guns in homes pose a clear risk to the safety of children, especially when guns are not stored safely or securely; tragic unintentional shootings and youth suicides occur far too often. CAP laws hold gun owners accountable for safe storage of their firearms and helps prevent guns from falling into young hands.
Evaluation:
For More Information:
Gun Violence Protection Orders (GVRO), often referred to as “extreme risk protection orders” and “red flag laws,” empower families and law enforcement to prevent gun tragedies by temporarily eliminating access to guns to individuals who are believed to have an increased risk of endangering themselves or others.
In 2018, the FL Legislature enacted Risk Protection Orders which allow law enforcement to petition the court to temporarily seize ammunition and firearms, for up to one year, from a person who poses a significant danger to him/herself or others. Under this law, family and household members cannot petition the court directly; we urge our legislators to expand state law to include those groups. Click here to see number of GVPOs issued in Pinellas County, FL between implementation in April 2018 and late July 2019. 63 of 332 issued during period were filed by the St. Petersburg Police Department.
Since 2013, between 89-97% of Americans support background checks for all gun sales, with support peaking at 97% in the immediate aftermath of the Parkland shooting. Gun owners and non-gun owners alike share a common belief that guns should be kept away from dangerous people.
By federal law, it is illegal for a licensed dealer to sell a firearm without performing a background check. Background checks preclude sales to a potential buyer who is:
2. The most dangerous gap in federal firearms laws is the “private sale” loophole. Neither federal nor Florida law requires unlicensed “private sellers,” including those who sell online and at gun shows, to complete a background check.
3. In the absence of a comprehensive background check system, criminals and other prohibited persons routinely exploit the massive loopholes in our laws. About 80% of firearms acquired for criminal purposes are obtained through transfers from unlicensed sellers
4. Researchers confirm that expanded background check laws, which close loopholes, effectively improve public safety and save lives. 21 states and the District of Columbia have extended the background check requirement beyond federal law to at least some private sales. States with universal background check laws experience:
Facts You Should Know:
SUICIDE DATA:
Suicides in Pinellas County
5 years between 2012-2016 982 suicide deaths, an average of 196/year
2014 195 (17.3 suicides per 100,000 population)
2015 199 (18 suicides per 100,000 population)
2016 214 (19.6 suicides per 100,000 population)
2017 178 (16.9 suicides per 100,000 population)
Summary: Suicides trended upward in the county between 2012-2016 dropping significantly in 2017.
Suicides in Florida
2014 3035 (13.8 suicides per 100,000 population)
2015 3152 (14.5 suicides per 100,000 population)
2016 3122 (14.1 suicides per 100,000 population)
2017 3187 (14.1 suicides per 100,000 population)
Summary: The national age-adjusted suicide rate was 13.5 per 100,000 population
in 2016; in Florida it was 14 per 100,000; in Pinellas County it was 19.6 per 100,000.
Suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in Florida, placing Florida 21st in the nation.
FIREARM DEATH DATA:
Firearm Deaths in Florida
2014 2410
2015 2559
2016 2704
Summary: The firearm death rate in Florida in 2016 was 12.6 per 100,000, higher than the nation’s 11.8 per 100,000 rate.
SUICIDE BY FIREARM DATA:
Suicides by Firearm in St. Petersburg
During the 5.5 years from Jan. 1, 2013 – June 30, 2018, there were 137 suicides by firearms.
Suicides by Firearm in Pinellas County
2015-17 total suicides (see annual data above) 591
2015-17 suicides by firearm 307
Summary: 52% of suicides during this 3-year period involved a firearm; this
equates to 8.4 per 100,000 population. (data from www.flhealthcharts.com
under profile of fatal injuries)
Suicides by Firearm in Florida (all data is per 100,000 population)
Year Rate of firearm death Rate of suicides % of suicides using firearms
2012 8.01 15.52 51.61%
2013 8.0 14.95 53.51%
2014 7.73 15.26 50.66%
2015 8.05 15.83 50.85%
2016 8.1 14.1 57%
Summary: 53% of suicides during this 5-year period involved a firearm.
Sources:
The impact of gun violence is far-reaching and devastating. By understanding the impact and acknowledging shared concerns, we can begin to identify ways to effectively address gun violence in a bipartisan manner.
To protect children and adolescents, priorities for gun safety policies include safe firearm storage, extreme risk protection orders, and universal background checks.
Guns and domestic violence have long been a deadly combination. Every 16 hours an intimate partner with a gun kills a woman in the U.S. In addition to the physical danger guns pose, research reveals long-term emotional and behavioral effects of violence, aggression, depression and anxiety resulting from exposure to domestic violence. Visit our Domestic Violence and Firearms Stats Sheet for analysis on domestic violence and use of firearms in Pinellas County and St. Petersburg.
Gun violence has changed the way many Americans live their lives.
“Impact of Gun Violence on Children, Families and Communities,” Child Welfare League of America, vol. 23, no. 1.
“Detroit homicide prosecutions cost society $1.6M per shooting, report says,” The Detroit News, June 29, 2019.
View our analysis of local violent crime, domestic violence, and suicide rates and check out the facts below on the impact of guns on communities.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in America. Guns are a devastatingly effective means of ending one’s own life. Nearly 50% of all suicides in America involve a gun and suicides account for about 60% of all gun-related deaths. 58 Americans kill themselves with a gun every day. You can see this in our suicide and firearms report with local data through 2017.
For More Information:
Local Impact: In the period January 2014 – August 2018 there were 533 unintentional shootings verified in Florida; 32 were in Pinellas County and 20 of those were in South Pinellas, District 13, which includes St. Petersburg
Facts You Should Know:
* 4.6 million children in the United States live in homes with at least one loaded, unlocked firearm.
* An average of 7.6 children in the U.S. die each day from gunshot wounds.
* A federal government study estimated that 31% of unintentional shootings might be prevented by two devices: a childproof safety lock and a loaded chamber indicator (a device that indicates there’s a bullet in the chamber and built into the gun; a slide can be used to swap out the part).
Gun violence is a persistent and disturbing public health issue. Its impact is most keenly felt by minority communities but has touched a broad cross-section of our country. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reveal that about 40,000 people are killed by a firearm each year; about 60% of these deaths are suicides and 37% are homicides.
LWVSPA’s Gun Safety Action Team is currently inactive but between 2017-2020 conducted evidence-based research and developed an education campaign and more than 20 fact sheets to provide you with the facts you need to independently take action on this issue. We continue to support efforts by LWV-FL and the FL Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence.
Watch “The State of Gun Violence in the U.S.,” a seven-minute video by Joss Fong, Vox, 21 Feb 2016.