Position statement: The Society of Behavioral Medicine supports federal action to break the cycle of gun violence.

The United States continues to see significant issues with gun violence, resulting in significant public health concerns. Behavioral medicine is often involved in addressing the psychological aftermath of gun violence, as survivors experience higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and suicidal ideation. Black and Latino communities are disproportionately affected by gun violence due to structural inequities, with gun violence furthering the structural and health inequities experienced in these communities. While the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 helped to improve gun control laws, federal policies are still needed to help close loopholes. The STOP School Violence Act of 2018 focuses on violence prevention education in schools but lacks information on behavioral health services and early psychological risk identification. To address future gun violence, we urge members of Congress to co-sponsor the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, which focuses on community building, including counseling services, financial, legal, and housing support for those at high risk for exposure to violence, and job training and digital literacy education for youth. Additionally, we ask them to support stronger measures to ensure safe transfer and responsible handling of firearms, including supporting legislation to close the "Charleston loophole" by requiring completion of background checks before transfers and the Protecting Extreme Risk Protection Orders, allowing courts to temporarily remove firearms from individuals showing warning signs of violence and connect them with crisis and behavioral health support.