Gun control

About: Gun control is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1211 publications have been published within this topic receiving 16516 citations. The topic is also known as: firearms control & gun law.

Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down): How Federal and State Gun Control Measures Have Failed Victims of Domestic Violence

Abstract: While numerous factors impact perpetrators of mass shootings, perhaps the most egregious omission from the ongoing gun control debate is the effect of past domestic abuse and misogyny on shooters’ violent impulses Furthermore, research shows that many, if not all, recent high-profile perpetrators are men with histories of domestic, sexual, or psychological violence against women Finally, many United States “red flag” laws are designed to temporarily prohibit domestic abusers from possessing firearms during the terms of their protective orders, ensuring that abusers regain access to dangerous weapons after a brief “slap on the wrist” This Article, prepared for consideration to the 2019 edition of Southern University Law Center's Journal of Race, Gender & Poverty, examines these distinct issues and proposes model statutes aimed at alleviating them

Bad data and the "evil empire": interpreting poll data on gun control

Abstract: Abusing the National Rifle Association (NRA) is always good sport for the intelligentsia and for gun-control true believers. Weil and Hemenway (pp. 353-365 in this issue) apparently could not resist the temptation to take some cheap shots at the “evil empire,” hanging their case on some dubious data from a commercial survey. Fun aside, two things are clear about this article. First, its conclusions bear little relationship to the evidence. The authors' survey data, even if taken at face value, simply do not support the authors' conclusions. Second, the data are in any case so seriously flawed that no reliable conclusions of any kind could be drawn from them on the subjects that the authors address.

This is Gun Country: The International Implications of U.S. Gun Control Policy

Abstract: Mexican drug cartels are inextricably linked to the United States. They are fueled by the U.S. demand for drugs, and are engaged in billions of dollars of drug transactions each year. They use some of that money to purchase weapons to maintain their respective regional influence over trafficking routes. Most of those weapons are purchased in the United States. As the drug market has increased for Mexican cartels, so has the violence, with an estimated 36,000 people killed since 2006. And although arms trafficking is itself illegal in both the United States and Mexico, each country has been able to do little domestically to curb the flow of weapons across the Southern border. In particular, lenient gun control regulations in the United States have encouraged Mexican cartels to purchase weapons here, where there is more choice and less inquiry. The problem, then, is how to address the growing violence south of the border without infringing on fundamental rights of gun owners, which are held particularly close in the states bordering Mexico. This note argues that without international cooperation, the gun trafficking dilemma will continue to proliferate as a result of lenient U.S. gun control policy. As domestic reform is unlikely, it is important that the two countries develop a coherent, and comprehensive effort focusing on combating the duel threat posed by drug and gun trafficking.

Firearm Ownership, Defensive Gun Usage, and Support for Gun Control: Does Knowledge Matter?

Abstract: Recent incidents of gun violence have raised questions about public access to “military-style” firearms and the need for more-restrictive forms of gun control. Proponents of more-restrictive forms of gun regulation argue that such measures will help combat the disproportionately high rates of gun crime in the United States. Opponents believe that such measures infringe upon constitutional rights and hinder law-abiding citizens' abilities to adequately defend themselves. This project explores the characteristics of gun owners living in Pennsylvania and public perceptions of three different categories of gun control. Results indicate that most gun owners have received some form of training and take appropriate safety precautions with their firearms. Further, 1 in 4 gun owners reported using their firearm in self-defense at some point in their life. Regarding gun control, most participants favored strategies intended to keep guns away from dangerous and “at risk” people, such as required background checks for all types of gun purchases, mental health screenings, and mandatory gun education. However, most participants opposed complete firearm bans. Among those who are the least supportive of such polices are those who are the most knowledgeable about gun crime, gun legislation, and gun functioning. Policy implications are discussed within.

Book Review: Robert J. Cottrol, Ed., Gun Control and the Constitution: Sources and Explorations on the Second Amendment (1993)

Abstract: This article reviews Robert J. Cottrol, ed., Gun Control and the Constitution: Sources and Explorations on the Second Amendment (1993).