Are Gun Ownership Rates Associated With Firearms Incidents in Schools? An Analysis of 40 Years of Data

• In Event: Armed Educators, Excluded Students: Current Controversies in School Violence Prevention

Abstract

School shootings are arguably the most pressing concern facing K-12 public education in the United States. To reduce school shootings, many policymakers have proposed broader restrictions on firearms. Yet, little empirical research has tested the relationship between school-based firearms’ incidents and access to firearms. This study examines the relationship between state gun ownership rates and school-based firearms incidents by linking multiple data sources from 1980 to 2019. Results suggest that firearms’ ownership rates have declined over time and that school-based firearms incidents skyrocketed to unprecedented levels in both 2018 and 2019. Findings are inconclusive on whether gun ownership rates are associated with school-based firearms’ incidents, but patterns indicate that certain regulations may be necessary to curb youth access to firearms.

Author

• Daniel Hamlin, University of Oklahoma