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\t\t\t\t\t\tPenn clinical psychiatry professor Paul Kettl has joined a rising group of researchers advocating for a public health strategy to prevent gun violence. Penn Clinical psychiatry professor Paul Kettl has joined a growing number of researchers calling for a public health approach to gun violence prevention.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n In a Sept. 4 opinion article<\/a> for The Washington Post, Kettl challenged the assertion that psychiatrists can identify school shooters and criticized rhetoric that assigns blame in the aftermath of mass shootings. Rather than scrutinize mental health professionals, Kettl suggested a different avenue for preventing future incidents.\n\t\t<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to focus on public health measures, meaning gun control laws, and having more care available for schools and children,\u201d Kettl said in an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian.\n<\/p>\n Kettl\u2019s recommended approach echoes recent Penn research<\/a> that frames gun violence as a public health crisis. In July, researchers at the Penn Injury Science Center<\/a> highlighted the role of community-based programs in preventing shootings, emphasizing the importance of school resources and youth outreach.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n The research followed a July 7 mass shooting in Philadelphia\u2019s Grays Ferry neighborhood that left three dead and 10 injured <\/a>at a block party on South Etting Street. The incident became one of the worst in a summer marked by increasing gun violence.\n<\/p>\n In light of the shooting, Sara Solomon \u2014 who serves as the Penn Injury Science Center deputy director \u2014 told the DP that \u201cspreading kindness and love\u201d can be used as a \u201cstrategy\u201d to curb instances of violence.\n\t<\/p>\n Kettl similarly cautioned against attributing responsibility to the families of shooters, noting that relatives cannot reasonably be expected to monitor every detail of a person\u2019s life or online activity. He said that focusing on family members is a \u201cdiversion\u201d from solutions that could address violence on a broader scale.\n<\/p>\n He characterized his article as a way of \u201cdivert[ing] blame from family members to a more responsible approach,\u201d including \u201cpublic health approaches to violence prevention.\u201d\n<\/p>\n In the piece, Kettl also criticized cuts to federal funding<\/a> toward mental health research, writing that the changes have left mental health professionals without the tools needed to study violence prevention more effectively.<\/p>\n The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation<\/a> to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: Abhiram Juvvadi<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n