This paper addresses gaps in scientific knowledge regarding the life course of concealed gun carrying and use from adolescence through adulthood by analyzing 25 years of longitudinal multicohort data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods; it lays out the research methodology, data analysis, and discusses the research results.
Most homicides in the United States are committed using a handgun, but little research examines gun carrying over critical stages of the life course and changing contexts of violence. Notably, although most of the handgun homicides are committed by adults, most research on concealed gun carrying focuses on adolescents in single cohort studies. Using more than 25 years of longitudinal multicohort data from Chicago, 1994–2021, the authors show that pathways of concealed gun carrying are distinct between adolescence and adulthood. Adolescent carrying is often age-limited and responsive to direct exposure to gun violence (witnessing and victimization), while adult carrying is a persistent behavior that is less tied to direct exposure. The onset of concealed carry is also a strong predictor of later gun use (shooting or brandishing), and the authors find distinct patterns of gun use between individuals who first carry in adolescence versus adulthood. They discuss the implications of these dual pathways for research and policies on firearm use. Top of Form(Published Abstract Provided)