Gun Violence in the Life Course

• In Event: Introducing PHDCN+: Sources and Consequences of Crime and Punishment over 25 Years (Panel 1 of 2)

Abstract

Drawing on three decades of longitudinal data from the PHDCN+ on multiple birth cohorts who were residents of Chicago at baseline in 1995, we examine the prevalence and probability of (1) firearm use for self-protection, (2) carrying an illegal firearm, and (3) shooting another individual. To do so, we employ survival models and estimate the hazard of these three outcomes by cohort, race, and neighborhood conditions. We also examine the extent to which childhood and adolescent exposure to violence is associated with a greater likelihood of contemporaneous and subsequent gun use. By utilizing individual level survey data that includes information on childhood and adult experiences from multiple birth cohorts, this project expands on our understanding of firearm use over the life course in periods with varying levels of gun violence. We conclude with a discussion on some long-term consequences of exposure to guns and the reproductive cycle of gun violence in American cities.

Authors

• David S. Kirk, University of Oxford

• Robert J. Sampson, Harvard University

• Thiago R. Oliveira, University of Oxford