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Abstract
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Three hundred seventy-seven African-American and 201 white adolescents, primarily of low socioeconomic status, were surveyed on perceptions of guns. Chi-square analyses found significant differences by gender and ethnicity. African-American males were more likely to have a pistol at home (47%); both African-American males and females were more likely to have known someone who took a gun to school (57% and 47%) and to have personally known someone who had been shot (87% and 91%). Differences between African-American and white adolescents and between males and females regarding gun control, gun safety, and consequences of gun use are described.
VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this study by Price et al.was to examine the differential perception of guns of African-american and white inner city adolescents.
METHODOLOGY:
The authors utilized a quasi-experimental cross-sectional design to gather data from five mid-western, inner-city public high schools located in low socioeconomic status districts. Students in required health education classes of the respective schools were given the survey in the spring of 1989. The authors developed a 48-item questionnaire based on a comprehensive review of literature. The instrument was designed to assess perceptions of guns and their effects. Three demographic variables were included, age, gender, and ethnicity. Nine background items were contained in the questionnaire along with 36 items on guns and their effects. A Likert-type scale was used as the format for the 36 items. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was tested using Cronbach's alpha and found to be .79. The authors also tested-retested the questionnaire to estimate stability reliability which was found to be .82.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
Five hundred and seventy-eight of the 725 questionnaires returned were analyzed. Those students who had not completed a major portion of the questionnaire and Hispanic and Asian students were dropped from this study. An examination of the data revealed several significant differences in background characteristics between African-american males and white males. African-american males were more likely than white males to have a hand gun at home, less likely to have a shot gun at home, more likely to have personally known someone who had been shot, and more likely to have known someone who carried a gun to school. The authors examined background variables of females by ethnicity and discovered five significant differences. African-american females in comparison to white females were less likely to have a rifle at home, less likely to have fired a gun, more likely to have personally known someone who had been shot, more likely to have known someone who took a gun to school. The ANOVA for ethnicity by the 36 gun items was significant. The authors found eight significant items by ethnicity using chi-square testing. African-american teenagers were more likely than white adolescents to believe that guns are easily accessible, that gun detectors should be in every doorway of their school, that banning ownership of hand guns would be more unfair to the poor, that having a gun at home make them feel safe, that most African-americans who are victims of gun inflicted wounds are shot by African-american males, that Americans are more likely to be shot and killed than any other people, that most African-american males who are shot are killed by police officers, and that African-american males are more likely to be shot than any other group of people. The ANOVA by gender for the 36 items was significant. Eleven items were found significant through subsequent chi-square analysis.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
The authors suggested that schools and health educators become more aware and involved in the prevention of gun violence.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - Firearms Perceptions
KW - Urban Youth
KW - Juvenile Perceptions
KW - Juvenile Attitudes
KW - Attitudes Toward Firearms
KW - Caucasian Juvenile
KW - Caucasian Perceptions
KW - African American Perceptions
KW - African American Juvenile
KW - Black-White Comparison
KW - Racial Differences
KW - Firearms Ownership
KW - Juvenile Firearms Carrying
KW - Firearms Violence
Language: en |