A Longitudinal Examination of Gun Reporting by Middle and High-School Students

• In Event: Community and School Safety: Meanings and Methods for Enhancing Feelings of Safety

Abstract

Purpose: One key aspect to preventing school violence is when youth report guns on campus to school personnel. A variety of normative and instrumental factors (i.e., peer experiences, student attitudes, youth victimization/delinquency) as well as certain strategies (i.e., anonymous reporting) are associated with the likelihood of reporting guns at school. However, few longitudinal studies have examined all these conditions at the same time. Importantly, looking at within-individual changes in the likelihood of reporting can help pinpoint areas for intervention.

Methods: We use longitudinal surveys from 21 middle and high schools across six St. Louis County, Missouri school districts to examine factors associated with the likelihood of reporting a gun at school.

Results: When considering within-individual changes in middle school, increases in school collective efficacy and decreases in commitment to negative peers are associated with increases in the likelihood of reporting guns. Within high school, increases in anonymous reporting are associated with increases in the likelihood students will report guns at school.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that independent of known risk factors that inhibit reporting, improvements in school climate and improvements in availability of anonymous reporting can increase the likelihood of reporting guns at school.

Authors

• Timothy McCuddy, University of Memphis

• Miriam Clark, University of Memphis

• Ellen M. McLeod, University of Memphis