Making Schools Safe in an Era of Mass Shootings: Will the Public Support Gun Control?

• In Event: Institutions and Victimization: Schools and Juvenile Corrections

Abstract

In the aftermath of the mass murder of students in Parkland, FL, the issues of gun control and school safety have earned sustained attention. Based on a 2018 opt-in online survey of 1,000 respondents conducted for us by YouGov, we explore public views toward the causes and means of controlling school shootings. Special attention is paid to policy issues such as limiting access to high-capacity firearms, arming teachers, target hardening of schools, and political action against politicians receiving NRA campaign funds. Alternative theories are also examined to explain variation in public opinion (e.g., socialization into a gun culture, trust in government). The theoretical and policy implications of the study are discussed

Authors

• Alexander Lee Burton, University of Cincinnati

• Justin Tyler Pickett, University at Albany, SUNY

• Cheryl Lero Jonson, Xavier University

• Francis T. Cullen, University of Cincinnati

• Velmer S. Burton Jr., University of Arkansas at Little Rock