Weapon Carrying Research Articles

ABSTRACT This study examines whether exposure to mass shooting events is associated with changes in high school students’ perceptions of safety and weapon-carrying behaviors with a focus on differences by race/ethnicity, sex, and age. We used individual-level data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and state-level data from the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), applying a generalized difference-in-differences analysis. We find increased weapon carrying and feelings of unsafety among high school students following such events. Notably, among several demographic differences, Black and Hispanic students are more likely to carry weapons, though Hispanic students report reduced carrying at school. These findings highlight the need for targeted, demographic-specific interventions to improve school safety and student well-being.

BackgroundPediatric and adolescent firearm injuries and fatalities in the United States have surged to levels not seen since the mid-1990s, marking a critical public health inflection point. Young Black males (ages 15‐24) experience firearm-related fatality rates 24 times higher than their White peers. Despite this disproportionate risk, they are less likely to participate in traditional firearm violence prevention programs. This disparity highlights the urgent need for innovative, culturally responsive approaches that address the emotional, behavioral, and social determinants of violence.ObjectiveThis pilot study aims to evaluate the preliminary effects of BrotherlyACT, a culturally responsive, trauma-informed, multicomponent mobile and web-based intervention designed to support young Black males (ages 15‐24) in navigating and preventing community violence, substance use, and mental health challenges. The intervention aims to increase access to precrisis support and mental health resources for youth living in low-resource, high-violence settings.MethodsSeventy young Black males with Serious Fighting, Friend Weapon Carrying, Community Environment, and Firearm Threats (SaFETy) scores between 1 and 5 (indicating low-to-moderate firearm violence risk) were enrolled in this prospective pretest-posttest study. Participants completed a psychoeducational component of the BrotherlyACT intervention, consisting of 7 video-based modules. Surveys were administered at baseline and again 4 weeks later to assess changes in attitudes toward guns and violence (Attitudes Toward Guns and Violence Questionnaire), reactive and proactive aggression (Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire), psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale), and depressive symptoms (8-item Patient Health Questionnaire). Paired t tests were conducted to analyze pre-post differences.ResultsA total of 70 young Black males (mean age 20.97 years, SD 2.44 years) participated in the study. Nearly half reported recent physical fights (48/70, 69%), gun threats (39/70, 56%), or hearing gunshots in their neighborhood (63/70, 90%). More than 50% (39/70, 56%) reported illicit drug use, and 32 out of 70 (46%) reported substance-related violence. SaFETy scores revealed heterogeneous but elevated exposure to firearm risk factors, particularly in community violence and firearm threats. Postintervention, participants demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in attitudes toward guns and violence (Attitudes Toward Guns and Violence Questionnaire; mean 29.8-26.1, P<.001, d=0.53), with the largest shift observed in “Aggressive Response to Shame” (28% reduction). Reactive aggression significantly declined (mean 10.48-8.67, P=.008, d=0.37), whereas proactive aggression remained stable. Psychological distress and depressive symptoms remained stable. Nearly all participants (68/70, 97%) completed all modules in a single session, with 47 out of 70 (67%) finishing within an hour, suggesting high feasibility and user engagement.ConclusionsPreliminary findings indicate that BrotherlyACT may reduce proviolence attitudes and reactive aggression among young Black males. These results underscore the feasibility and potential impact of culturally responsive digital interventions as a strategy to prevent firearm violence among underserved youth populations.

ABSTRACT This study used data from a school friendship network (n = 531) to describe the characteristics of peer groups that are most conducive to weapon carrying. We then compared the characteristics of carriers to noncarriers within groups and among socially isolated youth. Results indicated that students in high-carrying groups did not have close ties to their friends and were less likely than students in other groups to score high on the depression index. Weapon carriers within high-carrying groups, however, scored higher on the depression index than noncarriers in that group. Weapon carriers within low-carrying groups had higher rates of victimization than noncarriers. Carriers who were socially isolated were more socially intolerant than isolated youth who did not carry. Implications for weapon carrying prevention in schools are discussed.

Abstract Introduction Most United States (US) high schools prohibit the possession of weapons on school property and consider weapon-carrying as misconduct. Insufficient sleep is associated with impulsivity, lack of self-control, and other adverse emotional and mental health outcomes, which may contribute to risk-taking behaviors. The role of sleep in influencing risk-taking behaviors, such as weapon carrying, among adolescents has been underexplored. We examined whether insufficient sleep on school days was associated with the risk of teenagers carrying weapons at school. Furthermore, we explored whether race/ethnicity would modify this association. Methods The study utilized repeated cross-sectional data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Survey (YRBSS, 2009-2023) from nationally representative samples of high school students ages 16-18 (n=88,044). Weighted multivariable logistic regression models assessed the association of self-reported insufficient sleep (&amp;lt; 8 hours/night on school days) with weapon carrying on school properties (the dependent variable), adjusting for survey years and sociodemographic variables (age, biological sex, and race/ethnicity). Race/ethnicity was further explored as an effect modification to identify subgroup differences in this association. Adjusted Wald test was used to assess the statistical significance of effect modification. All descriptive and regression analyses accounted for the YRBSS complex survey design. Results An estimated 5% of high school students reported carrying weapons on school property. Seven in ten teenagers (70%) reported sleeping less than eight hours. Insufficient sleep (&amp;lt; 8 hours) was associated with greater odds of carrying weapons on school property (AOR: 1.14; 95% [CI: 1.02; 1.27]). More specifically, reported sleep for 4 hours/night (8.4% of participants) tripled the odds of weapons-carrying (AOR: 3.14; 95% CI: 2.67; 3.70]. Although the odds of weapon-carrying were greater among American-Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander adolescents (AOR: 1.76; [1.07; 2.91] and 2.04 [1.19; 3.48]) than among their White peers, the association between insufficient sleep (&amp;lt; 8 hours) and weapon-carrying was not modified by race/ethnicity F(6,536) = 0.57; p=0.76). Conclusion Findings underscore the potential risks associated with having sleep-deprived students on school property. Policies that promote sufficient sleep during school days (e.g., later school start time) could help mitigate some of the risks of carrying weapons to school. Support (if any) NIGMS grant #P20GM139743.

Adolescent E-cigarette use and associated socio-contextual variables, psychological variables, and problem behaviors.

ABSTRACT Despite the extensive study of the relationship between bullying victimization and weapon-carrying to schools, there is only little research that has examined the potential mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this association. This study aims to examine whether the perceived safety in schools and attention to social cues of threat mediate the relationship between bullying victimization and weapon-carrying to schools and whether a positive school climate moderates this relationship. The findings showed that bullying victimization could significantly predict weapon-carrying in schools directly or via attention to social cues of threat and the serial pathway from perceived safety in schools to attention to social cues of threat indirectly. A significant moderating role of positive school climate on the serial mediation pathways was revealed. Limitations and policy implications are discussed.

Weapon carrying and brandishing among youth is a serious public health issue. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey suggests that as many as 1 in 15 male and 1 in 50 female students have carried a gun for nonrecreational purposes within the past 12 months. When examining weapon carrying more broadly, approximately one in eight adolescents report this behavior in the past 30 days alone. Within the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, several manuscripts have explored this topic in recent years in hopes of identifying causes and contributing to prevention. As a reviewer for the journal, and as a scholar and social services practitioner whose work focuses on interpersonal violence, I share these authors’ investment in preventing youth weapon carrying and brandishing, addressing related harms such as bullying, and creating safer and more affirming environments for youth. However, I have grown increasingly concerned by the dominance of general strain theory (GST) in this literature. In this commentary, I argue that overreliance on GST as a causal framework has produced an overemphasis on immediate and microlevel explanations and a corresponding neglect of root causes and systemic injustice. Such limitations may be addressed through adopting additional or alternative frameworks that will allow scholars to incorporate multilevel factors. This will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of weapon carrying and brandishing among youth, and thus more effective prevention measures.

Purpose Weapon use is as risky in prison as it is in the community, but the type, use and meaning of weapons differ between these settings. Consequently, knowledge about community-based weapon violence may not generalise to prison contexts. The purpose of this study is to understand the meaning and use of weapons in a prison setting. Design/methodology/approach Using a framework for understanding weapon selection derived from a community setting, six prisoners in a remand setting in England who had a history of weapon possession and use in prison discussed their selection and use of weapons in prison. Findings Respondents described a hyperviolent milieu for some in which access to weapons was essential and wherein the official consequences of weapon carrying were outweighed by the potential costs of victimisation. Weapons served a variety of purposes for prisoners. At the individual level, they reduced the uncertainty of a hyperviolent environment, and they were used to construct and manage a violent identity as an aggressive precaution against victimisation. Originality/value This study develops the literature on weapon decision-making, extending it into a novel setting and addresses a significant gap in the prison research literature about the meaning and utility of weapons in a custodial setting. The use of a community-derived framework for understanding weapon carrying translated well into a prison environment and offers support for the synthesis of community and prison models of violence but distinctive features of the prison environment, such as how weapons are acquired, limits the fit of the model to a prison setting.

Objectives . The study evaluates the prevalence of risky weapon-carrying behaviors (WCB) among YBM in Chicago and examines their associations with various forms of direct and vicarious violence-youth violence, community violence, and partner abuse-as well as substance use and substance-related aggression. Methods . We performed Pearson Chi-square tests and multivariable negative binomial regression analysis on cross-sectional data from 266 violence-involved young Black males (YBM) in Chicago. This data was collected using a modified version of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Our dependent variable, weapon-carrying behavior, was measured by the frequency of weapon carrying, including items such as guns, knives, and clubs, over the past year. Results . In a sample of 266 YBM (ages 15-24, 99% African American), the mean age was 18.32 ± 3.10 years, and 42.7% had some high school education. The 30-day weapon-carrying incidence was 17.3%, with 19.1% threatening someone with a weapon ≥ 2-3 times in the past year. About one-third engaged in partner violence (30.4%), primarily psychological (36.7%) and physical (28.3%) abuse. Approximately 64.8% experienced some form of violence or aggression in the past year, and 76.4% witnessed community violence. Over 20.8% reported binge drinking, and 43.6% engaged in illicit drug use, with 37.2% participating in or initiating violent acts following alcohol or drug consumption. Negative binomial regression results revealed that exposure to direct and vicarious violence, along with substance use, significantly increased the likelihood of carrying weapons. Specific risk factors such as recent threats or injuries, witnessing violence, involvement in physical altercations, and substance-related aggression significantly predict WCB. Age and relationship dynamics also critically influence these behaviors. Additionally, for each year of age, the risk for WCB increased by 22%. Conclusions . This study identified significant associations between different types of violence, substance use, and risky WCB among YBM in Chicago. The results underscore the need for comprehensive, culturally sensitive, multifaceted interventions addressing both individual and psychosocial factors behind risky WCB. These interventions are crucial for reducing gun violence and improving urban community safety, offering vital data to inform policies and interventions for youth protection in similar environments.

In recent years, the United States has seen an increase in gun-related violence and school shootings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the incidence of gun carrying among high-school students has declined. Nevertheless, an examination of the underlying factors that increase the risk of violence-related behaviors is necessary to develop interventions to decrease gun use among high-school students. General Strain Theory (GST) predicts that victims of violence are (a) significantly more likely to engage in violent behaviors and (b) the increased risk of violent behavior by persons who experience violence is significantly greater among male victims. This research aims to test these predictions of the strain theory with data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). To that end, it investigates whether the relationship between forced sexual intercourse victimization (FSIV) and gun or weapon carrying or physical fighting is significantly greater among male students. Using R and pooled data from the nationally representative YRBS (2017 and 2019), additive interactions were estimated according to Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines to determine the association between FSIV and weapon carry, gun carry, or physical fighting. Multiplicative interactions and odds ratios were also estimated for comparison. Results show a high risk of gun and weapon carrying and physical fighting among both male and female students who experience FSIV and a significant relationship between FSIV and increased risk of these violence-related behaviors. Additive interactions show that the relationship between FSIV and these violent behaviors is significantly greater among male students than female students. Results confirm the predictions of GST and show that FSIV significantly increases the risk of gun carrying and other violence-related behaviors among male and female U.S. high-school students; the increased risk is significantly greater among male students.

This study examined factors that distinguish adolescent weapon carrying in school compared to only in the community. We look at how experiences (offending, victimization, and gang-involvement) and perceptions (school, neighborhood, individual) toward violence are associated with self-reported weapon carrying in these two locations. Data came from two waves of the University of Missouri – St. Louis Comprehensive School Safety Initiative, a longitudinal study on the causes and consequences of school violence. Multinomial logistic regression was used to predict weapon carrying among three mutually exclusive categories: those who do not carry, those who carry only in the community, and those who carry both in school and in the community. We find that victim/offenders are more likely to carry weapons regardless of context, but school weapon carrying is positively associated with fatalism and gang-involvement. One school factor, school commitment, impacted carrying both inside and outside of school. Our results identify unique factors that can reduce adolescent weapon carrying in general and specifically in school.

Factors Associated With Suicide Risk Behavior Outcomes Among Black Middle School Adolescents

Within the Arab community of Israel, the influence of masculine perceptions, violence, the carrying of weapons, and their subsequent use are growing concerns that significantly impact public safety. The omnipresence of social media further complicates this narrative, potentially reshaping traditional notions and behaviors associated with masculinity. This study endeavors to delve deep into the relationships between masculinity, violence, and weapon carrying and use and the role that social media plays in shaping these dynamics among Arab adolescent boys and young men in Israel. By employing a qualitative constructivist lens, the research integrated content analysis, digital ethnography, and rhetorical semiotic analysis. The participants included 40 Israeli Arab Muslim and Christian adolescent boys and young men. A recurrent theme was the belief in “Maktub”, signifying preordained events, pointing to a profound cultural relationship with fatalistic views on violence. Participants’ backgrounds in relation to violence influenced their stance on weapon carrying. There was a prevalent mistrust towards law enforcement. Social media’s role was pronounced, with genre preferences acting as indicators of violent inclinations. Culturally sensitive interventions are imperative, and it is essential to construct an early childhood educational program that includes positive male role models while collaborating with epistemic authorities.

Although studies have investigated and found an association between victimization and weapon carrying, few studies have examined the association between exposure to neighborhood violence (NV) and gun carrying among adolescents. The objective of this study was to examine the cross-sectional association between exposure to NV and gun carrying among adolescents. Data for this study came from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. An analytic sample of 17,033 adolescents aged 14 to 18 years old (51.7% male) was analyzed using logistic regression with complementary log-log link function. The outcome variable investigated in this study is gun carrying and was measured as a binary variable, whereas the main explanatory variable examined in this study was exposure to NV, which was also measured as a binary variable. Of the 17,033 adolescents, 4.2% carried a weapon during the past year, and 18.7% were exposed to NV. Controlling for the effects of other factors, adolescents who were exposed to NV had more than double the odds of carrying a gun when compared to their counterparts not exposed to NV (adjusted odds ratio = 2.33, 95% Confidence Intervals [1.69, 3.23]). Other significant factors associated with gun carrying include being a male, non-Hispanic Black, being threatened or injured with a weapon, use of alcohol, cigarette smoking, and misuse of prescription opioids. High parental monitoring was protective against gun carrying. The findings of this study underscore the importance of developing age-appropriate intervention strategies to reduce gun carrying among adolescents. School counselors and other professionals working with adolescents in disadvantaged neighborhoods should actively engage parents in assessments and interventions.

Carrying weapons to school poses a significant security risk for all individuals involved. The aim of this research was to examine the individual and contextual factors (family- and school-related) of weapons carrying and assaulting with weapon in schools. The research was conducted in 2014 on a sample of 649 high school pupils from Serbia. The results reveal that the common factors of carrying and using weapon are the perpetrators being male and their being victims of peer violence, vengefulness, dominance, anger, lack of empathy, seeking revenge, and limited use of active problem-solving, as well as their fathers tending to have a lower level of education, lower grades, attending vocational schools, and poor academic performance. In addition, victims of bullying in cases of peer violence temd to carry weapon more frequently, and they assault with a weapon just as frequently as bullies do. Pupils who have assaulted someone with a weapon show a tendency towards peer violence and dominance, and have lower cognitive empathy and hostility, compared to pupils who carry a weapon, but have not yet attacked anyone. The results support the vulnerability hypothesis regarding weapon carrying, and the antisocial profile hypothesis regarding assaulting with a weapon. The practical implications of the results refer to the importance of planned, targeted prevention programs in the school context.

Possession of weapons among American youth is a significant factor causing fear of crime. In fact, gun attacks by youth are threatening the lives of citizens and causing serious violations of overall social safety. When youth use firearms, the most vulnerable place is school. Therefore, the possession of weapons by students on campus in itself causes serious fear. Such fear in school prevents students from carrying out normal academic activities and causes serious problems in non-academic school activities. Previous studies on youth weapon possession have investigated factors that can influence weapon possession behavior. However, the main explanatory factor revealed in most previous studies focuses on the influence of personal factors such as peer influence or home environment such as parents. Considering these differences from previous studies, this study was planned to explore the influence of regional factors on delinquency and crime as explanatory factors. The research method used logistic regression analysis to examine the impact of regional factors of youth residence on weapon possession. As a result of the study, regional factors were found to be a significant factor influencing the behavior of youth carrying weapons inside and outside of school.

Cyber offending predictors and pathways in middle adolescence: Evidence from the UK Millennium Cohort Study

Sleep duration, sleep quality, and weapon carrying in a sample of adolescents from Texas

Adolescent substance use commonly co-occurs with poor mental health, bullying victimization and risky behaviors that may lead to violence. The purpose was to describe the United States (US) national prevalence of polysubstance use and co-occurring characteristics and associated demographic characteristics among youth. Middle and high school students in the 2019 CDC YRBS survey reported their demographics and current ( ≥ 1 days in the last 30 days) substances used (alcohol, cigarette, e-cigarette, cannabis); polysubstance combinations were generated. Cross-sectional weighted logistic regression estimated odds of polysubstance use and frequent use ( ≥ 6 days in the last 30 days) by weapon carrying, depressive symptoms, bullying victimization, and demographics. Mean age of the sample was 16 years, 51% were boys, 51% were non-Hispanic White. While accounting for 21% of the sample, 22-40% of Multiracial youth reported polysubstance use and frequent use. Odds of frequent polysubstance use (all combinations) were highest for weapon carrying youth.

The associations between sport- and physical activity-related concussions and suicidality, suicide capability, and hopelessness among high school adolescents.