Harmful gun behaviour and perceived collective efficacy: evidence from a cross-national study of youth detainees

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the patterns of harmful weapon behavior and the protective influence of perceived collective efficacy on harmful weapon behavior among a cross-national sample of youth detainees in Toronto and Philadelphia. Despite different firearms policies, detained youth in both cities reveal considerable knowledge of where to get a gun. Multivariate analyses reveal that participating in gang fights, non-violent delinquency, and neighborhood gun markets are significantly related to harmful gun behavior in both cities. Only one collective efficacy subscale, perceived social cohesion, exerted a protective influence on harmful gun behavior among youth in both cities. These results suggest that in the absence of “strong ties,” reflected in family and residential stability, there may be added value in the “weak ties” provided by the community, making social cohesion an important protective characteristic for this high-risk group of youthful detainees. The significance of the findings, limitations, and potential policy implications are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Youth detainees
• gun carrying
• harmful gun behaviour
• collective efficacy
• cross-national comparison

Notes

1. In order to calculate the significant contribution of the interaction term to the statistical model, the likelihood ratio test was conducted without the clustered standard error option.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Steven Cook

Steven Cook is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department Epidemiology at the University of Michigan and a Lab Associate in the Social Science Data Lab at Cardiff University. He completed his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Toronto in 2017 and was a Lecturer in Criminology and Quantitative Methods at Cardiff University between 2017-2020. His research interests focus on the intersection between public health and criminology, with a focus on social problems related to mental health, substance abuse, their overlap, and other risky and illicit behaviors.  In addition, he has an emergent interest in criminological problems related to the digitalisation of society.

Tara Bruno

Tara Bruno is an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator in the Department of Sociology at King’s University College at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. She teaches courses in both the sociology and criminology programs.  She has a background in addictions, crime and youth studies. Her primary research interests focus broadly on at-risk youth, substance use and mental health, and examining ways that young people are resilient to negative experiences and surroundings. She is particularly interested in better understanding how communities can support and encourage resilience in youth through empowerment and active engagement. Her current research explores the active role that young people can play in addressing suicide and mental health crises experienced by their peers at both the individual and community levels.

Patricia G. Erickson

Patricia Erickson is a Professor of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Toronto and Scientist Emerita, CAMH. Her Ph.D. is from Glasgow University, Scotland. Over several decades, her research interests have spanned drug policy, harm reduction, substance use, women and drugs, and youth, drugs, violence and mental health. She is the recipient of the Kaiser award for leadership in harm reduction (Canada) and the Lindesmith Award for excellence in drug policy research (USA). She is the author, co-author or editor of over 100 articles and chapters and several books (Cannabis Criminals; The Steel Drug: Cocaine and Crack in Perspective; Harm Reduction: A New Direction in Drug Policies and Programs).

Jennifer E. Butters

Jennifer Butters currently owns an editing consulting firm working primarily with Research Scientists and Doctors at St. Michael’s Hospital. Prior to this she served as the Director of Research at the Centre for Urban Health Initiatives at the University of Toronto (U of T) and worked at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in a variety of research positions. She was also a lecturing professor in the Department of Sociology at the U of T teaching courses in Crime, Delinquency and Mental Health. She has numerous publications and has been invited to speak at both national and international conferences.

Lana Harrison

Lana Harrison is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, and a faculty associate with the Center for Drug and Health Studies.  Dr. Harrison is a sociologist, an epidemiologist, and a statistician who has conducted national and international research on the drugs-violence nexus and treatment.  She is keenly interested in policy on drugs and crime and their intersection. Her research interests focus on the drug-crime nexus, drug epidemiology, treatment efficacy, and international drug policy.  She has authored or coauthored over 70 publications in these areas.