Nearly one in ten US youth and young adults reported searching online for information about gun-related harm, with higher likelihood among those with suicidal thoughts and adverse social conditions, according to a cross-sectional study published in JAMA Network Open.
Researchers analyzed wave 2 data from 4,039 participants aged 10 to 34 years in the nationally representative Growing Up With Guns study, recruited through the AmeriSpeak panel. The primary outcome was lifetime self-reported online searching for gun-related harm information, including how to harm oneself or others, obtain or make a gun, or conceal a gun. Secondary outcomes included reasons for searching, sources of information, and factors associated with these behaviors.
Overall, 9% of participants reported ever searching for gun-related harm information online. Searches most commonly involved how to obtain or make a gun (4%), how to conceal a gun (4%), how to harm oneself (3%), and how to harm others (2%). Most participants who reported searching indicated that the behavior was intentional and often motivated by curiosity or a desire for private information-seeking.
Search behavior was more common among older participants and those with adverse social and clinical factors. Participants with prior suicidal thoughts had about twice the odds of searching for any gun-related harm information, and more than five times the odds of searching specifically for how to kill oneself with a gun. Greater exposure to gun violence was also associated with higher likelihood of searching, and poor home conditions were similarly associated with higher odds, while female participants were less likely to report these behaviors.
Content was most often accessed through specific webpages, followed by social media platforms and online forums. While curiosity was the most frequently reported reason for searching, nearly one-third of participants reported seeking information privately, and others cited lack of trusted offline sources. A smaller proportion reported encountering such content unintentionally.
Patterns differed by search type and platform. Searches related to self-harm were more commonly associated with online message boards, whereas searches about harming others were more often encountered through social media. Searches about obtaining or concealing a gun were most often conducted through specific webpages.
Some indicators of social disadvantage showed less consistent associations across search categories. For example, financial instability was not consistently linked to searching behavior, which researchers suggested may reflect competing priorities that make gun acquisition less salient or the presence of community-level protective factors that mitigate risk.
The study has several limitations. The cross-sectional design precludes conclusions about causation, and all measures were self-reported, which may lead to underreporting of sensitive behaviors. The analysis assessed lifetime searching without capturing frequency or timing, and older participants may have had more opportunity to report prior searches.
“These findings suggest that public health strategies that combine digital interventions with structural reforms offer promising avenues to reduce gun-related harm among vulnerable populations,” wrote lead study author Kimberly J. Mitchell, PhD, of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire, and colleagues.
The study was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The researchers reported no conflicts of interest.
Source: JAMA Network Open
