Citation

Schnebly SM. Justice Q. 2002; 19(2): 377-398.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study used data on robberies and assaults from the 1992-99 National Crime Victimization Survey to determine whether victim, offender, and situational attributes moderate the deterrent effect of defensive gun use (DGU). The dependent variable examined in the study was victim injury, and the independent variables were victim, offender, and situational attributes, such as whether the victim engaged in DGU, victim gender, the number of offenders, and location of the incident. Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicated that the victim's gender, victim's household income, and location of the incident moderated the effect of DGU on injury. These findings suggest that while DGU provides a deterrent benefit for some, DGU does not significantly reduce the odds of injury for women or victims residing in low-income homes. The findings also indicate that the deterrent benefit of DGU is limited to urban settings.