They're "Selling Guns Like Pizza": Youth Perspectives on Gun Violence in America

• In Event: Public Opinion, Youth, and Juvenile Justice

Abstract

This study analyzes gun attitudes among a nationally representative sample of young Americans aged 14-30 (N = 44, across 26 focus groups and interviews), a demographically pivotal yet difficult-to-access population whose views will shape US gun policy for decades to come. Findings reveal that participants largely attribute gun violence to individual factors like mental illness and criminality rather than systemic issues. Youth distinguish between "legitimate" and "illegitimate" gun ownership through sociopolitical and racialized narratives. Despite ideological differences, many participants across the gun-ownership spectrum support certain gun control measures, while holding divergent views on police as either protectors or sources of harm.

Author

• Alexandra Swanty, American University