Citation

Holmes HL, Brewer LE, Kerr SA. J. Am. Coll. Health 2019; 67(6): 497-500.

Affiliation

Stephen F. Austin State University , Nacogdoches , Texas , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/07448481.2018.1499650

PMID

30358502

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed whether college students felt less safe or were less likely to work with another student when they thought the person they would work with was carrying a handgun than when they did not. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy participants were recruited from a public US university where campus carry was legal.

METHODS: Participants were led to believe a confederate was carrying a handgun or not. Participants' perceived safety and willingness to work with others was assessed.

RESULTS: No difference was found in participants' perceived safety. Participants who believed another student was carrying a concealed handgun reported they would be less likely to perform certain tasks with the handgun carrier than they would with the non-carrier.

CONCLUSIONS: People do not feel less safe around a handgun-carrying confederate and that allowing concealed handguns on campus might affect handgun carriers' interpersonal interactions with others in suboptimal ways.

Language: en

Keywords

Campus carry; campus safety; handguns; interpersonal interactions