Poster #63 - Do Criminological Theories Moderate the Victimization-Gun Carrying Link? Evidence from High-Risk Youth

• In Event: ASC Poster Session II

Abstract

This study examines whether theoretical constructs from rational choice theory, strain theory, and social disorganization theory moderate the relationship between victimization and youth gun carrying. Using longitudinal data from the Pathways to Desistance Study, we conduct a series of causal mediation analyses to test whether these criminological frameworks condition the effect of prior violent victimization on subsequent firearm carriage. Prior research has established a strong link between victimization—both direct and witnessed—and youth gun carrying, particularly among high-risk adolescents. Building on this work, we assess whether individual- and contextual-level factors derived from core criminological theories weaken or intensify this relationship. Our sample consists of adjudicated male adolescents, a population at elevated risk of both victimization and firearm involvement. By integrating theoretical predictors into an analysis of victimization effects, this study bridges two key areas of research on youth firearm behavior and contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the mechanisms underlying gun carrying.

Authors

• Autumn Rydarowicz, Bowling Green State University

• Samantha Kopf Apple, Bowling Green State University

• Mitchell Gresham, Minot State University