NCJ Number
133305
Journal
Criminology Volume: 29 Issue: 4 Dated: (November 1991) Pages: 541-559
Date Published
1991
Length
19 pages
Annotation
While many proponents of civilian firearm ownership argue that it has a deterrent effect, other experts argue that gun ownership may merely displace crime from one victim to another. This study examines the impact of events likely to change preexisting awareness of private armament by comparing crime counts before and after publicity that calls attention to defensive uses of guns.
Abstract
The case studies described here include the Orlando rapes, Kansas City robberies, Kennesaw (Georgia) burglaries, and Morton Grove and Evanston (Illinois) burglaries. In each of these case studies, any change in crime following media coverage could easily be attributed to coincidence. Even when the results are pooled, the combined estimate of the publicity effect is statistically insignificant. 2 tables, 5 figures, 23 notes, and 35 references