Read on Twitter
I’m a PhD student who studies gun violence. In order to make research on gun violence more accessible, I’m starting this thread where I’ll link and briefly summarize one journal article each week that explores some part of the subject.
Give me a follow if you find it helpful.
Give me a follow if you find it helpful.
Some notes before we get started:
I’ll only link to articles that are publicly available so that anyone who wants to can read the full text.
This is Twitter. I’ll try to make my summaries accurate, but they won’t be comprehensive.
Can’t share every study. Some contradict.
I’ll only link to articles that are publicly available so that anyone who wants to can read the full text.
This is Twitter. I’ll try to make my summaries accurate, but they won’t be comprehensive.
Can’t share every study. Some contradict.
Week 1: To start, I'm actually going to share three studies. Each provides some basic descriptive context for US gun violence.
The first study compares gun death rates in the US to 28 other high-income countries (listed in pic).
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743519300659?casa_token=i6CK8CdGWkQAAAAA:g7Y3Bh2QtU-NknVe3AD_b4L_PaVK-bX257UMrRGKX31NGcnzB9Y931rhJ7np3y6M_j3eQnMutJc
The first study compares gun death rates in the US to 28 other high-income countries (listed in pic).
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743519300659?casa_token=i6CK8CdGWkQAAAAA:g7Y3Bh2QtU-NknVe3AD_b4L_PaVK-bX257UMrRGKX31NGcnzB9Y931rhJ7np3y6M_j3eQnMutJc
The study found that, on average, the firearm homicide and firearm suicide rates in the US were 24.9 times and 9.8 times higher than in the comparison countries. Among the countries examined, 83.7% of all gun deaths and 91.6% of women killed by guns were from the US.
The second study uses CDC data to determine the likelihood that a person in the US will know someone who is a victim of gun violence during their lifetime.
It concludes that almost everyone in the US will personally know a victim of gun violence.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743516302821?casa_token=yPVdcZ7Vnt8AAAAA:Ex8YybyB6dGUNQN9I8T00NZCZv5Sd-DNorPT3GcTj3EGwf6VDxxNrevFwhNc7uMMIQapN5Ozrnk
It concludes that almost everyone in the US will personally know a victim of gun violence.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743516302821?casa_token=yPVdcZ7Vnt8AAAAA:Ex8YybyB6dGUNQN9I8T00NZCZv5Sd-DNorPT3GcTj3EGwf6VDxxNrevFwhNc7uMMIQapN5Ozrnk
Though the chances are high for everyone, it's important to note the chances of people from different racial groups knowing a gun violence victim during their lifetimes.
Black people are most likely (99.9%) to know a gun violence victim, then Hispanics (99.5%) and whites (97.1%)
Black people are most likely (99.9%) to know a gun violence victim, then Hispanics (99.5%) and whites (97.1%)
The third study does two things. First, it surveys who owns guns in the US and how different people store their weapons. Second, it concludes (based off survey data) that there are two regional and distinct gun cultures in the US. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743518302202?casa_token=CUH7frGDvhsAAAAA:pVO56m6GNV-2pXcXb8X_apIx6JP74Pw0z-oY3BoVX2P4nK6Yn5UF86KiVgd9_AB4wjAGjTpM_Aw
Per the survey, about a third of all US households (32.6%) house at least one gun. Household ownership is highest among whites (39.1%)--significantly higher than in Black households (18.6%) which represent the next highest ownership rate.
Men are more likely than women to report leaving a gun loaded and unlocked in the home. Black individuals are more likely than whites to do the same.
The two regional gun cultures represent (1) a focus on recreation and safety vs (2) self-protection.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743518302202?casa_token=CUH7frGDvhsAAAAA:pVO56m6GNV-2pXcXb8X_apIx6JP74Pw0z-oY3BoVX2P4nK6Yn5UF86KiVgd9_AB4wjAGjTpM_Aw
The two regional gun cultures represent (1) a focus on recreation and safety vs (2) self-protection.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743518302202?casa_token=CUH7frGDvhsAAAAA:pVO56m6GNV-2pXcXb8X_apIx6JP74Pw0z-oY3BoVX2P4nK6Yn5UF86KiVgd9_AB4wjAGjTpM_Aw
Takeaways from these studies:
1. *A lot* of gun violence occurs in the US relative to other countries.
2. Almost everyone in the US will know a gun violence victim in their lifetime.
3. Blasé attitudes toward safe gun storage are concentrated in the South and West of the US.
1. *A lot* of gun violence occurs in the US relative to other countries.
2. Almost everyone in the US will know a gun violence victim in their lifetime.
3. Blasé attitudes toward safe gun storage are concentrated in the South and West of the US.
