Nowadays the media always tells breaking stories about minors and violence. It seems like every other day there's a headline about shootings or stabbings. There are many things that need to be taken into consideration when analyzing youth violence and more specifically juvenile and gun violence. Gun violence is the intentional use of a weapon against a person, group, or community that can result in injury, death, or psychological harm. There are many factors that must be analyzed to reach a decision on the appropriate course of action to reduce gun violence among juveniles. Things that need to be taken into consideration are gun laws, different uses of firearms, how youth obtain firearms, causes of gun violence, and most importantly, options to combat youth gun violence . In the United States, there are two levels of regulation regarding firearms and laws that dictate who can possess firearms and the use of firearms. The first level we will talk about is the federal level. The second level will be the state level. There is a notable difference between federal and local government laws. The reason for this is that local governments need to ensure they have laws that reflect the needs of their communities. The federal government has very few laws regarding long guns, also known as rifles and shotguns. Under federal law, age is not a factor in deciding who is allowed to own a long gun. Possession of a firearm can be legal or illegal. Legal possession of a firearm is when someone has direct or indirect control of a firearm. Illegal possession of a firearm occurs when a person has control of the firearm by illegal means or is in control of an ille...... middle of paper ......plot with weapons stored in a manner improper. Putting the two together it's easy to see that most young people carry their parents' firearms with them. They are easily accessible and you don't need to pay for them. This makes it easy for young people to commit violent gun crimes, but it also makes it very easy for young people to commit suicide. A teenager is more likely to commit suicide at home and this may be part of the reason. Young people are also able to obtain weapons from secondary markets, which represent 30-40% of all weapons in circulation. These markets tend to be safe for transactions, but can also be very dangerous. It is generally safer to purchase a gun from a friend, family member, legal gun owner, or from a gun show. It becomes very dangerous for young people to buy guns from drug dealers/drug addicts, street dealers or from a person who illegally possesses a gun.