Gun Carrying Initiation Among Black and White Males: Comparing Self-Defense and Antisocial Lifestyle Explanations

• In Event: A Developmental Picture of Gun Carrying and Gun Use Among High-Risk Adolescents

Abstract

While few prospective longitudinal studies have examined the early developmental precursors to adolescent gun carrying, multiple explanatory models have been proposed. Self-defense explanations posit that boys who are victimized by others are more likely to carry guns as a form of self-protection. A second overarching framework asserts that gun carrying represents a necessary “tool of the trade” for youth engaged in early antisocial behaviors and those involved in antisocial peer networks. This study tested these competing models in a longitudinal sample of Black and White males (N=482) assessed annually from ages 10-19. Across this developmental span, 21% of youth reported carrying a gun in at least once, with Black youth being significantly more likely to carry than White youth. Consistent with self-defensive explanations, children who were disliked and teased by peers in childhood were more likely to begin carrying a gun in adolescence. However, this effect was reduced to non-significance after accounting for the boys’ early conduct problems and violent behavior. This suggests that victimization may increase boys risk for gun carrying primarily because it is associated with the development of early-onset antisocial behaviors.

Authors

• Dustin Pardini, University of Pittsburgh

• Rolf Loeber, University of Pittsburgh