Gun Violence Risk Transmission Across Networks of Neighborhoods: Understanding Exposure Effects on Mental Distress

• In Event: Communities and Place: Spatial Networks and Crime - Risk Transmission and Guardianship in a Mobile World

Abstract

Drawing on research showing that violence risk may “spill over” across space, this study examines the role of human mobility in facilitating exposure to firearm-related risk across places and the connection to mental distress. Data are drawn from a variety of national sources including the US Census’ Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) data and GPS mobility data from SafeGraph, aggregated to the level of US county within the contiguous 48 states. Results show that high firearm homicide in one county is associated with heightened rates of firearm homicide and mental health in socially connected counties (i.e., counties joined by human mobility flows), even after adjusting for geographic proximity. Implications and opportunities for future research and policy are discussed.

Authors

• Corina Graif, Pennsylvania State University

• Christopher Han-Fai Seto, Purdue University

• Joseph Risi, Penn State University