The University of Washington Institute of Translational Health Sciences (ITHS) profile series is meant to shine a deserving spotlight on individuals or programs within ITHS doing critical work across the vast spectrum of translational science. In our July installment, we are spotlighting the research of Cami Rencken, a predoctoral ITHS TL1 Trainee at the University of Washington, whose work focuses on the mental health impacts of school shootings.
Since the tragic Columbine High School shooting in 1999, over 378,000 students have faced gun violence at school, according to the Washington Post. While databases vary in their estimates, the K-12 School Shooting Database reports 348 school shootings in 2023 alone. Additionally, Everytown Research indicates that from 2013, there have been at least 1,290 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, resulting in 423 deaths and 906 injuries. It is also important to recognize that school shootings, while devastating, represent only a small fraction of the firearm violence impacting youth in the US. However, according to Everytown Research, this issue disproportionately affects children of color, with two out of every three incidents of gunfire on school grounds between 2013-2021 occurring in schools where the majority of students are from marginalized communities. Rencken’s research aims to understand and mitigate the psychological effects these traumatic events impose on individuals and communities…
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