Citation

Myers GP, McGrady GA, Marrow C, Mueller CW. Am. J. Public Health 1997; 87(6): 1038-1040.

Affiliation

Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga 30310-1495, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, American Public Health Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9224193

PMCID

PMC1380947

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This report describes the salience of social networks to the phenomena of adolescent weapon carrying. METHODS: A random-walk network sampling design was used to survey 113 adolescents about topics, including weapon carrying. RESULTS: In a probability sample of 12- to 15-year-olds, 20.9% reported ever carrying a weapon. Carriers were eight times as likely as noncarriers to report weapon carrying by an older associate, and 19 times as likely to report weapon carrying by a peer. A significant dose-response effect was present. CONCLUSIONS: This evidence supports the interpretation that modeling of weapon carrying by personal network members is important for its initiation and maintenance in adolescence.

Language: en