Kidsdata.org provides county-level data on child and youth deaths in the following indicators:

• Rates of death among children and youth, by age, by age and cause* (California and U.S. only), by race/ethnicity, and by race/ethnicity and cause* (California and U.S. only)
• Number of deaths among children and youth by age and cause*
• Rates of firearm-related death among children and youth by age and cause, by gender and cause, and by race/ethnicity and cause
• Number of firearm-related deaths among children and youth by age and cause, by gender and cause, and by race/ethnicity and cause

The death of any young person is a tragedy. High child and youth death rates also can be an indicator of larger system issues, such as community violence or problems accessing health care. In the U.S., preventable injuries (e.g., from car accidents) are the leading cause of death for young people ages 1-24 (1). For children ages 1-4, the most common cause of unintentional injury-related death is drowning; for 5- to 24-year-olds, it is motor vehicle accidents (1). Other leading causes of death among children and young adults include suicide, homicide, cancer, heart disease, and birth defects (1). Nationwide, firearms account for more youth homicides and suicides than any other type of injury (1).

Death rates from injuries, and overall death rates, generally are higher for boys than girls (2). Inequities by race/ethnicity also persist, statewide and nationally; e.g., among groups with data, African American/black and American Indian/Alaska Native children and youth have had the highest death rates for many years (3). Many fatal injuries can be prevented through environmental, behavioral, social, and legislative change (4).

In 2014-16, the death rate among California children and young adults ages 1-24 was 29.4 per 100,000, compared with 39.4 deaths per 100,000 youth for the nation as a whole. California rates have been on the decline since 2004-06 and have been consistently lower than U.S. rates since 1999-2001 (the first years for which data are available). Across counties with data, youth death rates vary widely, from 18 per 100,000 (Yolo) to 80.1 per 100,000 (Calaveras) in 2014-16. Similar to statewide trends, rates declined between 2004-06 and 2014-16 in 38 of 40 counties with data.

Young adults ages 20-24 consistently have the highest death rate (64.8 per 100,000 in 2014-16) when compared with other age groups in California, while children ages 5-14 have the lowest (9.8 per 100,000 in 2014-16). Since 2000-02, African American/black and American Indian/Alaska Native youth have had the highest rates of death among groups with data; in 2014-16, the death rate for African American/black youth in California (58.8 per 100,000) was about twice that for both white (30.7 per 100,000) and Hispanic/Latino youth (28.3 per 100,000), and more than three times that for Asian/Pacific Islander youth (19.1 per 100,000). Both in California and nationwide, unintentional injuries—such as car accidents, drowning, and falls—are the leading cause of death for children and young adults ages 1-24 overall, for all age groups, and for all racial/ethnic groups with the exception of African American/black youth, for whom homicide is the leading cause of death.

In 2016, there were 662 firearm-related deaths among California children and young adults ages 24 and under, with boys and young men accounting for the vast majority (593). Homicide and suicide are the most common causes of firearm-related death across all age, gender, and racial/ethnic groups with data. Overall, the statewide rate of firearm-related deaths among youth (4.7 per 100,000 in 2014-16) has decreased since 2004-06, and has been lower than the national rate since 2008-10. Still, disparities persist among groups; e.g., in 2014-16, African American/black youth died from firearm-related injuries at a rate (20.9 per 100,000) more than four times that for Hispanic/Latino youth (4.7 per 100,000), and more than seven times that for white youth (2.7 per 100,000).

Most child and youth deaths are due to accidents or otherwise preventable causes (1). Public policies aimed at prevention, education, and support of youth and families can address these causes.

Policy options that could reduce child and youth deaths include:

• Strengthening, enforcing, and promoting awareness of motor vehicle safety laws, including those concerning car seats, seat belts, distracted or drunk driving, and Graduated Driver Licensing systems (2)
• Preventing child abuse and neglect by promoting safe, stable, and caring relationships between caregivers and children; also addressing factors associated with child maltreatment, e.g., neighborhood economic stress and family poverty (3)
• Providing routine and accessible mental health screening and services for youth in order to address depression and prevent suicide; also going beyond the prevention and treatment of problems to promoting positive mental health (4)
• In accordance with California law, promoting school policies that foster a positive school climate (i.e., where students feel safe, connected, and supported at school), which is associated with lower levels of student violence and high-risk behavior, including substance use (5, 6)
• Addressing risk factors for gang involvement and violent behavior by strengthening families and schools, teaching students social and emotional skills, and improving community supervision and engagement of youth (7)
• Continuing efforts to ensure that all women, infants, children, and youth—particularly those with special health care needs—have access to quality medical care that is affordable, timely, comprehensive, continuous, culturally appropriate, and patient-centered (8)
• Supporting continued pediatric cancer research to promote advances in the understanding of risk factors and treatments (9)