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ABSTRACT
Firearm violence has been the second leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults in the United States since 2000 and is a major public health concern. But firearms may be related to less lethal forms of violence as well. Here we examine the relationship between the presence of a gun in the home and several behavioral and psychosocial measures related to aggression and violence among adolescents using data from a community-based survey of nearly 2,000 youths living in low-income neighborhoods. Our results indicate that adolescents living in homes where a gun is present display more aggressive attitudes and behaviors than their counterparts living in homes with no gun present. More research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying the relationships, but they may relate to a weapon’s effect or social learning.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank all of the research interns who have worked with us over the years.
Funding
The research reported here was partially supported by the National Institutes of Health Office for Research on Minority Health through a cooperative agreement administered by the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (HD30060); by a grant from the Center of Substance Abuse treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (TI13340); by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA017428); by the cities of Mobile and Prichard; by the Mobile Public Housing Board; and by the Mobile County Health Department.