NCJ Number
172110
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 25 Issue: 3/4 Dated: (1997) Pages: 147-157
Date Published
1997
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Three studies were conducted to examine the relationship between attitudes toward guns and fear of crime.
Abstract
In the first study, the 205 participants were college students. They responded to 23 questionnaire items about guns to determine if the construct "gun attitudes" contained sub-constructs and thereby caused the confusion in the literature on gun attitudes and fear of crime. Results revealed nine factors, which were grouped into socio-cultural and personal measures. In the second study, the 65 gun items that displayed reasonable variance in the first study were paired with measures of fear of crime, the local crime rate, and experience as guns. The participants were 147 college students. Results revealed the same nine factors as in the first study. In addition, further analyses revealed that after controlling for gender, personal experience, and risk of crime, a significant relationship existed between fear of crime and attitudes toward guns. People with higher fear of crime reported attitudes more favorable to gun control. The third study used telephone interviews to collect information from Chicago residents. Findings again revealed a positive relationship between fear of crime and positive attitudes toward gun control. In addition, findings revealed a positive relationship between stereotypical beliefs about gun victims and support for gun control. Figure, table, and 10 references (Author abstract modified)