Gun Carrying among Adolescents: Examining the Role of Perceived Neighborhood Disorder

• In Event: Firearm Ownership, Carrying, and Education

Abstract

Gun violence among the adolescent population in the United States is a major public health concern, attracting the attention of scholars, practitioners, and policymakers, among others. Across the nation, fire-arm related injuries are the leading cause of death among children and teenagers. Gun carrying, inevitably, is a key predictor for gun violence, especially among adolescents. Therefore, as society strives to curve gun violence among this population, understanding the risk factors associated with gun carrying is of critical importance. Although studies have identified various individual-level factors for adolescent gun carrying, there is a dearth in the literature examining how neighborhood characteristics may impact such occurrences. Accordingly, this study seeks to examine the relationship between neighborhood disorder and adolescents' susceptibility to gun carrying.

Authors

• Joshua Rosenbaum, University of Mississippi

• Anika Proctor, University of Mississippi

• Samuel Agboola, University of Mississippi Criminal Justice Department

• D'Andre Walker, University of Mississippi