Young people, violence, and guns: What NIJ is doing now (1994)

VioLit summary: OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article by Mock was to provide an overview of current and future projects and research regarding youth violence and guns by the National Institute of Justice. METHODOLOGY: A non-experimental discussion was presented. FINDINGS/DISCUSSION: The author first discussed the growing problem of youth violence in America. Second, a review of the current literature on firearms and violence was presented. Lastly, projects, research and strategies regarding the topics of juveniles and guns, firearms ownership, and controlling illegal firearm acquisition were discussed. In response to the growing problem of youth violence, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) currently supports a number of projects that address youth violence in order to find effective approaches to the problem. The causal relationship between firearms and violence was a specific issue of interest. A review of the literature conducted by the National Academy of Science's Panel on the Understanding and Control of Violence Behavior found than an increase in gun availability was not associated with overall rates of violent crime. However, the use of firearms was found to influence the probability and severity that certain violent events would occur. That is, correlations were found between gun availability and specific crimes of felony gun use and felony murder. The relationship, however, remains unclear since other studies have found an association between gun availability and crime. Two other findings regarding firearms and youth were notable. First, the most cited reason for acquiring a gun was for protection. However, it is uncertain how often the gun is used in unprovoked incidents of self-protection. Second, most guns used in violent crimes have been stolen or transferred between individuals after the original purchase. People who use guns to commit violent crimes rarely purchase them from licensed dealers. Based on these findings, strategies to address the youth firearm and violence problem were suggested. A strategy suggested for reducing firearm lethality was to ban certain types of ammunition. Requiring combination locks on triggers was also suggested as a way to reduce unauthorized use of firearms. These strategies would need to be rigorously evaluated. In terms of legal interventions and law enforcement, the Pane suggested a focus on: 1) the disruption of illegal gun markets, 2) a cooperative effort between the police and the community aimed at reducing the fears (protection) that lead to gun ownership, and 3) reducing juvenile access to guns. In terms of youth and guns, NIJ/Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDPP) research suggests that although youth are prohibited by law to purchase guns, for some high-risk youth the use, ownership, accessibility, and the carrying of firearms was fairly common. Guns were reported to be easily and cheaply obtained most commonly through informal networks such as the family, friends, and the streets. This suggests that strategies need to be aimed at reducing youth access to guns as well as motivations to obtain guns (protection). NIJ is also sponsoring research on firearm ownership. Since firearm ownership may influence the availability of guns and the research on the causal relationship between gun availability and violent crime is mixed, and further research is needed. In response to this need, NIJ is sponsoring a nation wide study of firearm ownership and use to determine the reasons for gun ownership, the number and type of guns owned, and how guns are acquired, stored, and disposed of. Further, the evaluation of current firearm regulations and the control of illegal firearm trafficking is planned. The State of Virginia's Firearms Trafficking Task Force is designed to control illegal firearm acquisition and to identify and prosecute individuals and organizations involved in illegal firearm trafficking. An evaluation of this task force will be conducted. Moreover, the NIJ, OJJDP, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are working together on a project to reduce illegal firearm possession and firearm deaths and injury among youth. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado) Language: en