NCJ Number
190489
Journal
Justice Quarterly Volume: 18 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2001 Pages: 509-541
Date Published
September 2001
Length
33 pages
Annotation
This study presents and estimates a multilevel model of weapon possession by students.
Abstract
The study extended existing research through an emphasis on the simultaneous effects of individual-level factors that included fear, victimization, criminal lifestyle, pro-gun socialization, and social engagement, as well as school-level contextual factors that included indicators of school structure, school capital, and school deficits. The research used hierarchical logistic regression methods and data from more than 6,000 students in grades 6 to 12 in 21 middle schools and high schools in Louisville, KY, to estimate multilevel main effects. Data collection took place in the spring of 1996 as part of an ongoing data collection project that asked students about a broad array of delinquent behaviors, family background, and attitudes. Results indicated that the likelihood of carrying a weapon to school varied not only across individuals, but also across schools. School structural characteristics, especially socioeconomic status, were significant in accounting for some of this variation across schools. Furthermore, school capital and school deficits mediated the effects of socioeconomic status on weapon carrying. Findings indicated that policies aimed at curbing in-school weapon carrying must consider the problem as more than a matter of individual pathology and must recognize that the school itself also has an important role. Tables, figure, footnotes, and 74 references (Author abstract modified)