Pub Date : 2022-11-01DOI: 10.1177/00027162231173321
M. Anestis, Allison E. Bond, Shelby L. Bandel
Each year, firearms account for half of all the suicide deaths in the U.S. Research has shown that, worldwide, the most effective way to prevent suicide is so-called means safety: making the tools and methods of suicide less accessible and less lethal. In the U.S., research has shown, time and again, that access to firearms increases the risk for suicide death, particularly when firearms are not stored safely. Means safety, therefore, could be a powerful tool in reducing suicide deaths in America, where firearms are highly lethal, widely available, and frequently used within a specific geographic area. For this nation to sustainably lower its suicide rate, the issue of access to firearms is pivotal. We argue for a public health approach to suicide prevention: one that would improve data linkage; promote the effective upstream use of interventions like lethal means counseling and safe firearm storage messaging; and deploy more systematic efforts to identify and understand subcommunities of firearm owners, including those who obtained their firearms illegally.
{"title":"Understanding Risk and Implementing Data-Driven Solutions for Firearm Suicide","authors":"M. Anestis, Allison E. Bond, Shelby L. Bandel","doi":"10.1177/00027162231173321","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00027162231173321","url":null,"abstract":"Each year, firearms account for half of all the suicide deaths in the U.S. Research has shown that, worldwide, the most effective way to prevent suicide is so-called means safety: making the tools and methods of suicide less accessible and less lethal. In the U.S., research has shown, time and again, that access to firearms increases the risk for suicide death, particularly when firearms are not stored safely. Means safety, therefore, could be a powerful tool in reducing suicide deaths in America, where firearms are highly lethal, widely available, and frequently used within a specific geographic area. For this nation to sustainably lower its suicide rate, the issue of access to firearms is pivotal. We argue for a public health approach to suicide prevention: one that would improve data linkage; promote the effective upstream use of interventions like lethal means counseling and safe firearm storage messaging; and deploy more systematic efforts to identify and understand subcommunities of firearm owners, including those who obtained their firearms illegally.","PeriodicalId":48352,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science","volume":"704 1","pages":"204 - 222"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41465201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-01DOI: 10.1177/00027162231171474
Michael R. Ulrich
Congress passed the first federal legislation on firearms safety in decades at nearly the same moment that the Supreme Court issued its first major Second Amendment decision since 2008. It will take time to assess the effects of these actions on both gun safety and Second Amendment rights, but, with gun violence skyrocketing across the country, it is clear that finding a balance between rights and safety is desperately needed. The public is ill-equipped to protect itself against the broad harms of gun violence, so the government has a central role to play in addressing those harms and the racial disparities that come with them. Gun owners, too, must recognize their obligations to fellow citizens, not only to act responsibly with firearms, but to accept the limitations of their constitutional protections. An evidence-based path forward can be forged that mitigates the harm of gun violence while minimally burdening the rights and interests of those who own firearms.
{"title":"Balancing Rights and Responsibilities: The Role of Government and Citizens in Combatting Gun Violence","authors":"Michael R. Ulrich","doi":"10.1177/00027162231171474","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00027162231171474","url":null,"abstract":"Congress passed the first federal legislation on firearms safety in decades at nearly the same moment that the Supreme Court issued its first major Second Amendment decision since 2008. It will take time to assess the effects of these actions on both gun safety and Second Amendment rights, but, with gun violence skyrocketing across the country, it is clear that finding a balance between rights and safety is desperately needed. The public is ill-equipped to protect itself against the broad harms of gun violence, so the government has a central role to play in addressing those harms and the racial disparities that come with them. Gun owners, too, must recognize their obligations to fellow citizens, not only to act responsibly with firearms, but to accept the limitations of their constitutional protections. An evidence-based path forward can be forged that mitigates the harm of gun violence while minimally burdening the rights and interests of those who own firearms.","PeriodicalId":48352,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science","volume":"704 1","pages":"292 - 309"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41544578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-01DOI: 10.1177/00027162231173324
S. Buggs, N. Kravitz-Wirtz, Julia J. Lund
The adverse impacts of community firearm violence in the U.S. are unequally felt across geographic and various sociodemographic segments of our population. Researchers, government leaders, and the general public need to contend with the various ways in which unjust socioeconomic and political forces and systems of power and privilege lead to differences in risk exposure among population groups, as well as differences in the extent to which various segments of the population are protected from the adverse effects of firearm violence. We highlight dozens of studies to illustrate how firearm violence and community trauma in the U.S. can be more effectively addressed when a “social and structural determinants” perspective is used to understand and respond to this public health problem.
{"title":"Social and Structural Determinants of Community Firearm Violence and Community Trauma","authors":"S. Buggs, N. Kravitz-Wirtz, Julia J. Lund","doi":"10.1177/00027162231173324","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00027162231173324","url":null,"abstract":"The adverse impacts of community firearm violence in the U.S. are unequally felt across geographic and various sociodemographic segments of our population. Researchers, government leaders, and the general public need to contend with the various ways in which unjust socioeconomic and political forces and systems of power and privilege lead to differences in risk exposure among population groups, as well as differences in the extent to which various segments of the population are protected from the adverse effects of firearm violence. We highlight dozens of studies to illustrate how firearm violence and community trauma in the U.S. can be more effectively addressed when a “social and structural determinants” perspective is used to understand and respond to this public health problem.","PeriodicalId":48352,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science","volume":"704 1","pages":"224 - 241"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46575627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-01DOI: 10.1177/00027162231173323
D. Webster, Joseph B. Richardson, Nicholas S. Meyerson, C. Vil, Rachel J. Topazian
We conducted a review of studies on the effects of hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) on subsequent involvement in violence as a victim or perpetrator that included a nontreated control group. We identified seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and six observational studies. Most HVIPs evaluated relied principally on credible messengers to engage potential participants and intensive case management to provide social services. Evidence of linkage of HVIPs to community violence intervention programs was lacking. RCTs of the most robust HVIPs showed some evidence of protective effects, but overall evidence of reduced risks for violence was mixed. RCTs were underpowered, and all but one were vulnerable to selection bias. Stronger interventions and research methods are needed to advance our understanding of the potential for HVIPs to reduce risks for future violence.
{"title":"Research on the Effects of Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs: Observations and Recommendations","authors":"D. Webster, Joseph B. Richardson, Nicholas S. Meyerson, C. Vil, Rachel J. Topazian","doi":"10.1177/00027162231173323","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00027162231173323","url":null,"abstract":"We conducted a review of studies on the effects of hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) on subsequent involvement in violence as a victim or perpetrator that included a nontreated control group. We identified seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and six observational studies. Most HVIPs evaluated relied principally on credible messengers to engage potential participants and intensive case management to provide social services. Evidence of linkage of HVIPs to community violence intervention programs was lacking. RCTs of the most robust HVIPs showed some evidence of protective effects, but overall evidence of reduced risks for violence was mixed. RCTs were underpowered, and all but one were vulnerable to selection bias. Stronger interventions and research methods are needed to advance our understanding of the potential for HVIPs to reduce risks for future violence.","PeriodicalId":48352,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science","volume":"704 1","pages":"137 - 157"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48525584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-01DOI: 10.1177/00027162231164865
J. Donohue
Substantial evidence has documented a powerful “instrumentality” effect: the more lethal the weaponry employed, the greater the likelihood that death will result from any given assault. This finding provides the foundation for the subsequent findings that a variety of measures that restrict the prevalence or limit the permissible types of lethal weaponry can lower the costs of gun violence. The literature has advanced to the point that there is a sufficient empirical basis to call for the elimination of right-to-carry laws, to reestablish bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to maintain restrictions on youthful access to guns, and to repeal stand-your-ground laws. The Supreme Court’s recent decision expanding the scope of the Second Amendment in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen shows a concerning disinterest in the importance of these empirical findings.
{"title":"The Effect of Permissive Gun Laws on Crime","authors":"J. Donohue","doi":"10.1177/00027162231164865","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00027162231164865","url":null,"abstract":"Substantial evidence has documented a powerful “instrumentality” effect: the more lethal the weaponry employed, the greater the likelihood that death will result from any given assault. This finding provides the foundation for the subsequent findings that a variety of measures that restrict the prevalence or limit the permissible types of lethal weaponry can lower the costs of gun violence. The literature has advanced to the point that there is a sufficient empirical basis to call for the elimination of right-to-carry laws, to reestablish bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to maintain restrictions on youthful access to guns, and to repeal stand-your-ground laws. The Supreme Court’s recent decision expanding the scope of the Second Amendment in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen shows a concerning disinterest in the importance of these empirical findings.","PeriodicalId":48352,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science","volume":"704 1","pages":"92 - 117"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46130526","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-01DOI: 10.1177/00027162231174320
Lisa Singh, C. Gresenz
Firearms research has been hindered by a persistent lack of high-quality, reliable, and timely data. Using social media data in firearms research is, therefore, appealing: these data are large in scale, continuously provided, passively obtained, inexpensive in some cases, and easily combined with data from traditional sources. We consider how social media data have been used in firearms research to date and how they can be best used moving forward. Despite the many advantages of using social media data, there are key analytical and ethical considerations associated with their use, including understanding the underlying population, constructing valid and reliable measures from shared content, the possibility of false data and misinformation through fake accounts, and concerns having to do with the privacy and consent of social media users. Notwithstanding these drawbacks, we show that there is a compelling case for the continued development of these data for firearms research and suggest principles for their responsible use in this context.
{"title":"Social Media Data for Firearms Research: Promise and Perils","authors":"Lisa Singh, C. Gresenz","doi":"10.1177/00027162231174320","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00027162231174320","url":null,"abstract":"Firearms research has been hindered by a persistent lack of high-quality, reliable, and timely data. Using social media data in firearms research is, therefore, appealing: these data are large in scale, continuously provided, passively obtained, inexpensive in some cases, and easily combined with data from traditional sources. We consider how social media data have been used in firearms research to date and how they can be best used moving forward. Despite the many advantages of using social media data, there are key analytical and ethical considerations associated with their use, including understanding the underlying population, constructing valid and reliable measures from shared content, the possibility of false data and misinformation through fake accounts, and concerns having to do with the privacy and consent of social media users. Notwithstanding these drawbacks, we show that there is a compelling case for the continued development of these data for firearms research and suggest principles for their responsible use in this context.","PeriodicalId":48352,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science","volume":"704 1","pages":"267 - 291"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47852358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-01DOI: 10.1177/00027162231166597
Carissa J Schmidt, Leigh Rauk, R. Cunningham, M. Zimmerman, J. Roche, P. Carter
Firearm injuries are a leading cause of injury-related deaths in the U.S., but there is a dearth of federal funding for research on firearm injury prevention, compared to funding for research on other injuries and diseases. University research centers/institutes (C/Is) are in a position to help generate such research: they are multidisciplinary, have the capacity to conduct large-scale research projects, and commonly address complex health and social problems. In this article, we trace the history of research on firearm injury prevention, describe the different kinds of C/Is and C/I networks that have been developed to build knowledge in other areas of critical social concern, and argue for the development of a national coordinated network of firearm injury prevention C/Is.
{"title":"How Multi-disciplinary Research Centers and Networks Can Advance the Science of Firearm Injury Prevention","authors":"Carissa J Schmidt, Leigh Rauk, R. Cunningham, M. Zimmerman, J. Roche, P. Carter","doi":"10.1177/00027162231166597","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00027162231166597","url":null,"abstract":"Firearm injuries are a leading cause of injury-related deaths in the U.S., but there is a dearth of federal funding for research on firearm injury prevention, compared to funding for research on other injuries and diseases. University research centers/institutes (C/Is) are in a position to help generate such research: they are multidisciplinary, have the capacity to conduct large-scale research projects, and commonly address complex health and social problems. In this article, we trace the history of research on firearm injury prevention, describe the different kinds of C/Is and C/I networks that have been developed to build knowledge in other areas of critical social concern, and argue for the development of a national coordinated network of firearm injury prevention C/Is.","PeriodicalId":48352,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science","volume":"704 1","pages":"242 - 266"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48976201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-01DOI: 10.1177/00027162231165149
A. Zeoli, Alexander D. McCourt, Jennifer K. Paruk
We present the rationale behind four types of laws that restrict access to firearms for those who are deemed to be a high risk for future gun violence and two types of laws that implement firearm purchase prohibitions. We also present evidence on the effectiveness of these laws. Broadly, these are laws that restrict access for domestic violence abusers, individuals convicted of misdemeanor violence, and individuals at high risk of violence against themselves or others. We briefly discuss relinquishment of firearms by those who are newly restricted, but we focus mainly on how purchase restrictions are implemented by the federal government and across states. Extant research shows that well-implemented firearm policy that is based on evidence-based risk factors can be effective in reducing firearm injury.
{"title":"Effectiveness of Firearm Restriction, Background Checks, and Licensing Laws in Reducing Gun Violence","authors":"A. Zeoli, Alexander D. McCourt, Jennifer K. Paruk","doi":"10.1177/00027162231165149","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00027162231165149","url":null,"abstract":"We present the rationale behind four types of laws that restrict access to firearms for those who are deemed to be a high risk for future gun violence and two types of laws that implement firearm purchase prohibitions. We also present evidence on the effectiveness of these laws. Broadly, these are laws that restrict access for domestic violence abusers, individuals convicted of misdemeanor violence, and individuals at high risk of violence against themselves or others. We briefly discuss relinquishment of firearms by those who are newly restricted, but we focus mainly on how purchase restrictions are implemented by the federal government and across states. Extant research shows that well-implemented firearm policy that is based on evidence-based risk factors can be effective in reducing firearm injury.","PeriodicalId":48352,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science","volume":"704 1","pages":"118 - 136"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45193396","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-01DOI: 10.1177/00027162231174162
Kerri Raissian, Jennifer Necci dineen, C. Crifasi
America has both the highest gun death rate (12 per 100,000 persons) and the highest gun circulation rate (about 121 firearms in circulation for every 100 persons) of any developed country. Taken together, these statistics might lead one to assume that high gun death rates in America are all but a certain outcome. However, gun death rates vary substantially across America suggesting that a range of solutions to reduce gun death and injury exist. This transdisciplinary volume contains a novel collection of articles that overview the evolution of American gun policy, presents evidence on the efficacy of both policy and non-policy interventions, and provides insight on where we go from here given American culture, norms, and legal structures.
{"title":"Gun Violence and Gun Policy in the United States: Understanding American Exceptionalism","authors":"Kerri Raissian, Jennifer Necci dineen, C. Crifasi","doi":"10.1177/00027162231174162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00027162231174162","url":null,"abstract":"America has both the highest gun death rate (12 per 100,000 persons) and the highest gun circulation rate (about 121 firearms in circulation for every 100 persons) of any developed country. Taken together, these statistics might lead one to assume that high gun death rates in America are all but a certain outcome. However, gun death rates vary substantially across America suggesting that a range of solutions to reduce gun death and injury exist. This transdisciplinary volume contains a novel collection of articles that overview the evolution of American gun policy, presents evidence on the efficacy of both policy and non-policy interventions, and provides insight on where we go from here given American culture, norms, and legal structures.","PeriodicalId":48352,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science","volume":"704 1","pages":"7 - 17"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44616439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-01DOI: 10.1177/00027162231168738
Nathaniel J Glasser, H. Pollack, M. Ranney, M. Betz
Firearm injury is a major cause of death, disability, and other harms to community well-being across the U.S. Economics and public health offer two complementary perspectives to conceptualize gun violence and formulate strategies to mitigate related harms. Economics offers methods and procedures for tabulating costs of firearm injury and offers an explicit, albeit imperfect normative framework to evaluate proposed interventions. Economics’ focus on incentives, trade-offs, and resources constraints provides useful mechanisms for understanding illegal firearm markets and firearm use that can inform crime reduction efforts. Public health methods and interventions help to measure patterns of illness and disease, identify risks and protective factors, and inform prevention efforts for the most vulnerable individuals and communities. Public health also focuses attention on social determinants and structural factors in designing and evaluating interventions to prevent, address, and mitigate the consequences of gun violence.
{"title":"Economics and Public Health: Two Perspectives on Firearm Injury Prevention","authors":"Nathaniel J Glasser, H. Pollack, M. Ranney, M. Betz","doi":"10.1177/00027162231168738","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00027162231168738","url":null,"abstract":"Firearm injury is a major cause of death, disability, and other harms to community well-being across the U.S. Economics and public health offer two complementary perspectives to conceptualize gun violence and formulate strategies to mitigate related harms. Economics offers methods and procedures for tabulating costs of firearm injury and offers an explicit, albeit imperfect normative framework to evaluate proposed interventions. Economics’ focus on incentives, trade-offs, and resources constraints provides useful mechanisms for understanding illegal firearm markets and firearm use that can inform crime reduction efforts. Public health methods and interventions help to measure patterns of illness and disease, identify risks and protective factors, and inform prevention efforts for the most vulnerable individuals and communities. Public health also focuses attention on social determinants and structural factors in designing and evaluating interventions to prevent, address, and mitigate the consequences of gun violence.","PeriodicalId":48352,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science","volume":"704 1","pages":"44 - 69"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42430184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}