Comprehensive, state by state violent death data helps explain firearm violence trends

On the firearm violence beat, it's crucial to have comprehensive data - but it's often the most difficult part of reporting.

We've covered this problem before at AHCJ, and offered sources of good data. Another of those sources is the National Violent Death Reporting System, also called NVDRS.

The NVDRS, a CDC project, attempts to provide a national picture of violent deaths in the U.S. via states' reports on their own violent deaths. All 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico submit data to NVDRS.

It's the only state-based surveillance reporting system, according to the CDC, pooling more than 600 data points from multiple sources into an anonymized database. The data covers all violent deaths - including homicides, suicides and accidental firearm deaths - in all settings, for all ages. NVDRS defines a violent death "as a death that results from the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or a group or community."

The CDC says by linking the who, when, where and how from violent death data, users can glean insights about "why" the deaths occurred.

The NVDRS collects information from death certificates, coroner and medical examiner reports, law enforcement sources, crime labs and toxicology results. The CDC says the data can offer context for why a violent death occurred, including relationship problems, mental health conditions, potential addiction issues based on toxicology results and life stressors.

This detailed database can help prevent violence, the CDC says, because it shows where violent deaths occur, who is most at risk and what factors contribute to these deaths. Those details can provide the foundation for preventative strategies, according to the CDC.

There are limitations to this data. Because reporting data is up to each state, there are often inconsistencies in what's reported and the timeliness of those reports. But for an official, government source of data, NVDRS is one of the best and most comprehensive options.

This data is a huge benefit to reporting on firearm violence because it not only covers homicides and suicides, but it also offers insights on issues like mass shootings, child abuse, domestic violence and the unintentional discharge of firearms. It also helps to analyze alarming trends, like recent spikes in gun homicides and suicides among children.

To access NVDRS data, go to the Web-based Injury Statistics and Query System, or WISQARS.

History

NVDRS was created with the hope of establishing a more unified and comprehensive system for surveilling violent deaths, according to a 2006 report explaining the history of the system.

The NVDRS "ultimate purpose is to provide accurate, timely, and comprehensive surveillance data that will allow us to reduce and prevent the occurrence of violent deaths in the U.S.," the report reads.

National systems tracking the incidents and characteristics of health conditions exist and work well with other areas, like infectious diseases and car crashes, the report said. That data has also driven prevention efforts.

And the same could be done for violent deaths, the report argues.

So, in 1999, six private foundations pooled their resources to establish the National Violent Injury Statistics System (NVISS), a "national fatal intentional injury surveillance system" that included 12 pilot sites, the report said. That system developed many of the tools and methods needed for a multisource surveillance of violent deaths.

In 2000, Harvard Injury Control Research Center and the Joyce Foundation suggested the CDC fund a public system similar to NVISS. (The Joyce Foundation financially supports AHCJ's work on firearm violence and trauma.)

Congress appropriated $1.5 million in 2002 to begin developing NVDRS, the report said.

The data collection began in 2003 with six states: Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina and Virginia. The system received funds to expand nationwide in 2018 and by 2019 all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico were reporting to NVDRS.

Strong state examples

Last year, two states launched state-based dashboards for violent deaths, presenting data collected by NVDRS. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services launched MiDVRS and the Minnesota Department of Health started MNDVRS.

These dashboards include trends in death counts and death rates over time. Users can filter by variables including: year, manner of death, victim demographics, and weapon used, among several others, to understand specific aspects of violent death in each state.

"The State of Michigan is committed to preventing violent deaths of its citizens. Currently available data, however, do not always provide the information needed to assess accurately all factors associated with such a death," the state's health department says on its website.

"The goal of the MiVDRS is to provide the state and its communities with a clearer understanding of violent deaths so they can be prevented."

In a news release from the Joyce Foundation about the launch of the two state dashboards, Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham said the state's new dashboard supplies detailed information on which populations are "experiencing the tragedy of violent deaths, and what the circumstances are surrounding these deaths."

"By pulling this data together into one dashboard, we can better understand where and why these deaths are happening and work with our partners to develop tailored strategies to protect Minnesotans," Cunningham said.

Several states have tried to use the NVDRS to disseminate the data and create reports, analysis and limited dashboards, Joyce said in the release. But these reports tend to be time-intensive to produce, are often inconsistent across states and usually only cover one or a few topics.

So, Joyce determined the public would benefit from comprehensive dashboards that compile NVDRS data by state, allowing users to more easily interact with that data.

Resources

• Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions is the merger of two leading research institutions: the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy and the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence. The collaboration brings together respected gun violence researchers and prevention advocates to examine and promote policies and programs to improve community safety.

• For data specifically on mass shootings, The Violence Project is a nonprofit and nonpartisan research center that maintains a database on mass shootings and mass shooters. Their data on mass public shootings extends from 1966 to the present.

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