NCJ Number
198387
Date Published
2001
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study identified risk factors for weapon carrying, gun carrying, and physical fighting at school and elsewhere by means of an analysis of data files concerning students in grades 9 through 12 in the United States in 1995 and 1997.
Abstract
This paper was presented at the American Society of Criminology's Annual Conference in Toronto, Canada, in November of 1999. Two risk factors were identified by means of a review of data obtained from the 1995 and 1997 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. The two risk factors that were found to be closely associated with the problem behaviors studied in this research project were use of alcohol or marijuana on school property and being threatened or injured with a weapon at school. Of the risk factors examined, those that significantly predicted one problem behavior generally predicted the other problem behaviors as well. It was noted that weapon carrying and fighting were distinct phenomena, with only fighting being violent per se. It is noted that both behaviors were representative of an overall problem of behavior pattern in school and the larger community. Some shortcomings of common survey research approaches to weapon carrying among youth are reviewed. One conclusion reached was, it was found that when comparing urban Black males, suburban white males, and rural white males, rural white males were most likely to carry weapons but less likely to fight, leading researchers to speculate that differences in the way weapons are used in rural areas as compared to urban areas accounts for this difference. Included are a list of reference sources, and tables containing information on odds ratios, confidence intervals, and logistic regression analysis