NCJ Number
147139
Journal
Behavioral Sciences and the Law Volume: 11 Issue: 4 Dated: (Autumn 1993) Pages: 375-388
Date Published
1993
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Survey data collected from 835 male juveniles incarcerated in maximum-security reformatories were used to analyze motivations behind gun possession and carrying by criminally inclined youth.
Abstract
The results show that these juvenile offenders believed that gun possession increased their chances of surviving in a hostile environment. High rates of crime, violence, and gun activity characterized the social environments in which these respondents had lived prior to their incarceration. Over 80 percent reported they had been threatened with a gun or shot at during their lives and half had been stabbed with a knife. Relatively large proportions of respondents believed that shooting another person was justified if a desired object could be attained through the shooting or if the victim did not belong in the neighborhood. Perceptions of injury or insult increased the perceived acceptance of violent responses. The results imply that any gun procured primarily for protection or status was also viewed as potentially instrumental in committing crimes. 7 tables, 13 notes, and 33 references