January 1, 1999

At its December meeting, the AMA House of Delegates overwhelmingly approved a measure cosponsored by APA and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) asking AMA to support the evaluation and, when appropriate, treatment, of children who bring guns to school (see story on page 1).

David Fassler, M.D., AACAP delegate and vice chair of the Section Council on Psychiatry, spoke with Psychiatric News about the scope of the problem.

"Last year more than 6,000 kids were caught with guns in schools and suspended," said Fassler. "For many this was not an isolated event, but a sign of much larger emotional and behavioral problems, often including treatable mental illness. These kids need help, and the resolution asks the AMA to support access to appropriate mental health evaluations and treatment. While it's clear that there's no easy solution to the issue of school violence, identifying kids at particular risk and intervening as early as possible can only help us address the overall problem and enhance the safety of our kids."

According to a 1993 survey of students in grades 6 to 12 by the American Academy of Pediatrics, 59 percent of children in grades six through 12 said they knew where to get a gun if they wanted one, and two-thirds said they could get one in 24 hours, said Fassler. Despite enhanced security measures, 8 percent of children in high school said they brought a gun to school within the last 30 days. More than 6,000 children were caught with guns in school last year and suspended or expelled, according to the U.S. Department of Education.