Broader approach urged to reduce gun violence

The most effective way to reduce gun violence without significantly curtailing Second Amendment rights is to treat the problem as a public health issue, like smoking or drunken driving, rather then trying to profile potential shooters, according to a report released Thursday by a panel of experts who were commissioned by the American Psychological Association to study the issue in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., massacre.

The panel reviewed evidence on a wide variety of interventions intended to reduce violence, including suicides and homicides, in schools and in the workplace. It concluded that trying to predict who will act out by profiling was unreliable, and that more systemic preventive policies were far more effective.

The report offers a list of such policies, including legal changes like tighter background checks on gun sales, and programs in schools to teach nonviolent conflict resolution. The report also sharply criticized the lack of government money to study firearm violence.

For the NY Times article, go to:  Broaderapproach     
For the full report, go to  APAreport on gun violence