NCJ Number
205723
Journal
Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2004 Pages: 161-184
Editor(s)
Tory J. Caeti,
Eric J. Fritsch
Date Published
April 2004
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This article summarizes recent research on juvenile access to firearms, juvenile weapon carrying, variables associated with juvenile weapon carrying, and the unlawful use of weapons by juveniles.
Abstract
In recent years, juvenile access to firearms and juvenile weapon carrying have been the subject of substantial concern. This article synthesizes the key findings from several dozen recent studies of weapon-associated juvenile activity. The findings are categorized and discussed in the following order: (1) juvenile access to firearms; (2) juvenile weapon carrying; (3) variables associated with juvenile weapon carrying; and (4) unlawful use of firearms and other weapons by juveniles. Even though weapon-associated juvenile violence has declined since the mid-1990's, research indicates that juveniles have easy access to firearms and that delinquent juveniles are more likely than nondelinquent juveniles to own and carry guns and other weapons. Yet, there is no data that indicate that the majority of juvenile gun owners or weapon carriers are delinquents. On the surface it may appear unnecessary to suggest that a distinction be made between juveniles who carry weapons for legitimate reasons and those who carry weapons for crime-related reasons. The greatest impediment to developing policies and tactics that effectively reduce weapon-associated juvenile violence appears to be that, in contrast to delinquent behaviors such as theft and vandalism, not all juvenile weapon-carrying lacks legal justification. Policies to reduce weapon-associated juvenile violence should incorporate a series of checks and balances to ensure that juveniles who have a legitimate reason for carrying weapons are not categorically defined and treated as menaces to society. Appendix and references