Student Attitudes and Fear to Campus Carry Policies

• In Event: Poster Session II

Abstract

An increasing number of states are considering legislation on concealed possession of a handgun on public college and university campuses in the wake of recent campus shootings, however, the debate surrounding these policies has not yet been settled. While a large number of U.S. public colleges and universities ban the carrying of concealed handguns on their campus, a growing number of state legislatures have passed bills that allow licensed holders to carry a concealed handgun on college and university campuses (De Angelis, Benz, and Gillham, 2017; Thompson et al., 2013). Texas is among the most recent to pass legislation allowing students to carry a concealed weapon on their campuses. This study examines student attitudes and responses to the change in campus carry policy on a mid-size Texas university campus. Specifically, the effects of knowledge of the campus carry policy on student fear of crime and possession of a concealed handgun license are explored.

Authors

• Brooke Miller, University of North Texas

• Mark Saber, University of North Texas

• Tayfun Ayazma, University of North Texas