NCJ Number
184016
Journal
Social Forces Volume: 78 Issue: 4 Dated: June 2000 Pages: 1461-1482
Date Published
June 2000
Length
22 pages
Annotation
Using 4 years of county-level data drawn from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) for South Carolina and a pooled cross-sectional time-series research design, this study investigated whether gun availability is related to violent crime, gun crime, juvenile gun crime, and violent crimes committed with a knife.
Abstract
The study contributes to the literature by distinguishing between illegal and legal gun availability and by using a comprehensive measure of gun crime. Results show a strong positive relationship between illegal gun availability and violent crime, gun crime, and juvenile gun crime. Little or no effect for the legitimate gun availability measure was observed in any of the estimated models. Findings also show that illegal guns had little influence on violent crimes committed with a knife. Offenders apparently were not substituting knives or other cutting instruments when illegal firearms became less available. A supplemental analysis showed no evidence of simultaneity between gun availability and violent crime. The strong and consistent effect of illegal rather than legal gun availability on violent crime has important policy implications; this suggests that greater attention should be given to devising ways for legitimate gun owners to better secure their weapons. 2 tables, 2 figures, 10 notes, and 54 references