DOI: 10.3886/icpsr06484.v1
title: Firearms, Violence, and Youth in California, Illinois, Louisiana, and New Jersey, 1991
title: Version 1

description: Violence committed by and against juveniles was the focus
 of this study. Two groups were examined: incarcerated (criminally
 active) juveniles and students in inner-city high schools, since these
 youths are popularly considered to engage in and experience violence
 (especially gun-related violence), to belong to urban street gangs,
 and to participate in the drug trafficking thought to lead to
 excessive gun violence. Self-administered questionnaires were
 completed by 835 male inmates in six correctional facilities and 1,663
 male and female students from ten inner-city high schools in
 California, Illinois, Louisiana, and New Jersey. Data collection took
 place during January through April of 1991. To maximize response
 rates, inducements of five dollars were offered to the inmates,
 Spanish-language versions of the questionnaire were provided to
 inmates who preferred them, and personal interviews were conducted
 with inmates whose reading skills were less than sufficient to
 complete the questionnaire on their own. In four schools, principals
 permitted the inducements to be offered to students to participate in
 the study. As with the inmate survey, a Spanish-language version of
 the questionnaire was provided to students who preferred it. The
 questionnaires covered roughly the same core topics for both inmates
 and students. Items included questions on sociodemographic
 characteristics, school experiences, gun ownership, gun use for
 several types of firearms, gun acquisition patterns, gun-carrying
 habits, use of other weapons, gang membership and gang activities,
 self-reported criminal histories, victimization patterns, drug use,
 alcohol use, and attitudes concerning guns, crime, and violence. In
 both questionnaires, the majority of the items covered firearms
 knowledge, acquisition, and use. The remaining items in the inmate
 survey primarily covered criminal behavior and, secondarily,
 victimization histories. In the student survey, these priorities were
reversed.
description: The increase in violence committed by and against
 juveniles has come more and more to define the public's image of the
 crime problem and the larger political debate over anti-crime policy.
 While evidence documenting the extent of youth violence is abundant,
 the available research evidence dealing with juveniles, guns, and
 violence has left many important questions unanswered, for which this
 data collection attempts to provide information. Concerning violence
 on the streets, how many street juveniles, of what description, own,
 carry, or use firearms on a routine basis? Where and how are their
 firearms obtained? What empirical relationships can be discerned
 between firearms behaviors and involvement in crime, gangs, or the
 drug trade? Concerning juvenile violence in the schools, how
 prevalent is gun ownership, carrying, and use among students in
 inner-city schools? Who are the inner-city victims of youthful gun
 violence? Regarding current beliefs about gangs, drugs, and guns, how
 much is true and how much is modern urban myth? If guns are indeed
 prevalent among youth, whether they are gang members or not, what
 kinds of guns do the youths possess? Where and how do juveniles obtain
their firearms, how easily, and at what cost?
description: Efforts were concentrated on incarcerated
 (criminally active) juveniles and students in inner-city high schools,
 since these youths are popularly considered to engage in and
 experience violence (especially gun-related violence), to belong to
 urban street gangs, and to participate in the drug trafficking thought
 to lead to excessive gun violence. Self-administered questionnaires
 were completed by 835 male inmates in six correctional facilities and
 1,663 male and female students from ten inner-city high schools in the
 United States. Data collection took place during January through April
 of 1991. Respondents were told that the research sought information
 about what they knew about guns in their neighborhoods and peer
 groups, as well as information about their personal knowledge and
 experience. In all cases, students and inmates were assured that their
 participation in the study was voluntary and anonymous. Respondents
 were also asked to sign a form attesting that they understood the
 subject of the study and that their participation was entirely
 voluntary. For the inmate survey, administrators announced the study
 to wards in each of the smaller facilities' dormitories and to those
 in about half of the larger facilities' dormitories. To maximize
 response rates, inducements of five dollars were offered to the
 inmates, Spanish-language versions of the questionnaire were provided
 to inmates who preferred them, and personal interviews were conducted
 with inmates whose reading skills were less than sufficient to
 complete the questionnaire on their own. In all cases, groups of 10 to
 20 inmates completed the questionnaire at a time. Average completion
 time for the survey was less than one hour. In some schools, the
 survey was administered to groups of 20 to 30 students at a time. In
 others, the survey was given to larger assemblies of 100 to 200
 students. In four schools, principals permitted inducements of five
 dollars to be offered to the students to participate in the study. As
 with the inmate survey, a Spanish-language version of the
questionnaire was provided to students who preferred it.
description: The questionnaires covered roughly the same core
 topics for both inmates and students. Items included questions on
 sociodemographic characteristics, school experiences, gun ownership,
 gun use for several types of firearms, gun acquisition patterns,
 gun-carrying habits, use of other weapons, gang membership and gang
 activities, self-reported criminal histories, victimization patterns,
 drug use, alcohol use, and attitudes concerning guns, crime, and
 violence. In both questionnaires, the majority of the items covered
 firearms knowledge, acquisition, and use. The remaining items in the
 inmate survey primarily covered criminal behavior and, secondarily,
 victimization histories. In the student survey, these priorities were
reversed.
description: Response Rates: Although exact response rates are not available,
 the number of inmates actually surveyed varied from 22 percent of the
 facilities' populations to 62 percent, with a mean of 42 percent. For
 the student survey, the number of students surveyed in each school
 ranged from 109 to 229, with a mean of 165. The percentage of the
 student population surveyed across schools ranged from 7 to 21
 percent, with a mean of 10 percent. For both surveys, lower
 percentages were a function of the larger-sized facilities or
schools.
description: Presence of Common Scales: Several Likert-type scales were used.
description: The site selection strategy specifically targeted areas in
 which gun-related activities were considered relatively extensive.
 Although technically not generalizable, the sites were also not to
 deviate obviously or seriously from most sites. To sample criminally
 active youth, inmates in the chosen states' major juvenile corrections
 facilities were sought. To sample inner-city students, high school
 students (ninth- through twelfth-graders) in large public schools in
major cities near the correctional facilities were targeted.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Inmate Data
DS2: Student Data
DS3: SAS Data Definition Statements for Inmate Data
DS4: SAS Data Definition Statements for Student Data
DS5: User Guide
description: Male youths incarcerated in six juvenile corrections
 facilities in California, Illinois, New Jersey, and Louisiana, and
 male and female students attending public schools proximate to the six
correctional facilities.
description: Users are encouraged to obtain a copy of the Final
 Report for further details of the representativeness of the
respondents.