(BlackDoctor.org) -- Almost without exception, every major city in America is seeing record numbers of young people—mostly African American males—die as a result of gun violence. Although high-profile school shootings have increased public concern for student safety, school associated violent deaths account for less than 1% of homicides among school-aged children and youth.

How do we start to see this as a public health epidemic? We can start with the mental health component. Mental health is an essential component of young peoples' overall health and well-being. It affects how young people think, feel, and act, their ability to learn and engage in relationships, their self-esteem and ability to evaluate situations, options and make choices. A person's mental health influences their ability to handle stress, relate to other people, and make decisions.

Four million children and adolescents in this country suffer from a serious mental disorder that causes significant functional impairments at home, at school, and with peers. It is estimated that one in ten children and adolescents suffer from mental illness severe enough to cause some level of impairment. However, in any given year, it is estimated that fewer than one in five of such children receives needed treatment.

Who’s calling for increases in mental health services available to these young people? An alarming 65% of boys and 75% of girls in juvenile detention have at least one mental disorder. We are incarcerating youth with mental disorders, some as young as eight years old, rather than identifying their disorders early and intervening with appropriate treatment. Early and effective mental health treatment can prevent a significant proportion of delinquent and violent youth from future violence and crime. The psychological effect of being victimized by or witnessing violence is yet another aspect of violence. Youth violence is a widespread problem in the United States.

Consider the following statistics:

• About 9% of murders in the U.S. were committed by youth under 18.
• Youth under 18 years old accounted for about 15% of violent crime arrests.
• One national survey found that for every teen arrested, at least 10 were engaged in violence that could have seriously injured or killed another person.
• About 1 in 3 high school students say they have been in a physical fight in the past year, and about 1 in 8 of those students required medical attention for their injuries.
• Black males 18-24 years old have the highest homicide offending rates.
• Over 750,000 young people ages 10 to 24 are treated nationally in emergency departments for injuries sustained due to violence.

The contribution of social factors to the health problems of young African American men deserves further attention than thus far received. Young African American men die at a rate that is at least 1.5 times the rate of young white men, and almost three times the rate of young Asian men. While the death rate drops for men ages 25 to 29 for most groups, it continues to rise among African Americans. Are we silly enough to believe that this is because young African American men are at the bottom of the evolutionary chain? Have you heard of health disparities?

With other causes of death where African Americans suffer disproportionately, it is universally accepted that education, access, social/economic factors are centrally responsible factors. Why are we ignoring and not applying the same logic with the public health epidemic of youth violence?

Throughout history, epidemics are commonly thought to involve outbreaks of acute infectious disease, such as measles, polio, or streptococcal sore throat. If this were a Flu epidemic, all sorts of vaccines and preventive measure would be put in place and implemented. These diseases all carry with them a host of risk factors. Research from the Center for Disease Control identified risk factors that increase the likelihood that a young person will become violent. Take a look at the factors they have identified:

• Involvement with drugs, alcohol, or tobacco
• Authoritarian childrearing attitudes
• Harsh, lax, or inconsistent disciplinary practices
• Low parental involvement
• Low emotional attachment to parents or caregivers
• Low parental education and income
• Parental substance abuse or criminality
• Poor family functioning
• Poor monitoring and supervision of children
• Lack of involvement in conventional activities
• Poor academic performance
• Low commitment to school and school failure
• Diminished economic opportunities
• High concentrations of poor residents
• High levels of transiency
• High levels of family disruption
• Low levels of community participation
• Socially disorganized neighborhoods

These are the areas where we need to concentrate our efforts in a holistic kind of way. We are so consumed and focused on “dogging’ the Police Commissioners across America for not doing enough, we can’t see the forest for the trees! We have conveniently put this issue in a neat little box called youth violence. This problem is negatively affecting every aspect of our society. There is a major infection that is spreading rapidly.

Isn’t it time to consider homicide a health epidemic? Youth violence is a public health problem. Let’s not be in denial.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one. Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible.

By Glen Ellis, BDO Executive Editor

• BlackDoctor.org is a credible and trusted resource for African Americans to get healthy lifestyle information.  A "WebMD" for Black consumers is a good way of looking at us.  Our aim is to build a comprehensive database of accurate, relevant information and to be the first point of call whenever African Americans need medical/dental information or a referral to a qualified Black doctor.