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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.


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Journal Article
TL;DR: For instance, this paper found that criminal justice majors are more opposed to gun control measures than non-criminal justice measures and that gender and race differences in attitudes to this controversial issue.
Abstract: This study examined 254 students attitudes towards gun control. Of central concern was whether criminal justice students attitudes were different from other students attending a medium-sized southern university. Findings show criminal justice majors are more opposed to gun control measures than non-criminal justice measures. As well, results show gender and racial differences in attitudes to this controversial issue. Implications for research on students' attitudes about gun control and ways to educators could use these findings in the classroom are provided. Introduction Educators undoubtedly recognize how often controversial issues come up in criminal justice course lectures and discussions. Such issues often lead to volatile discussions on topics such as abortion, capital punishment, free-will, gun control, and so on. At times, differences in opinions between students enrolled in the criminal justice courses provide for interesting intellectual discourses. At other times it seems that most of the criminal justice students' opinions reflect those of a broader and generally more conservative society, which may conflict with the beliefs and values of the educator (in which case the instructor is viewed as the outsider responsible for all of societies' ills). Differences in values, however, are often assumed. Yet, as Emmons and Nutt point out, the undergraduate "curricula offers fertile but largely neglected opportunities to study values" (1995, p. 147). Using this "fertile" area, this research investigates whether criminal justice students' attitudes (i.e. values) are different from non-criminal justice students on one issue: gun control. Generally, recent polls show that the public is in favor of stricter gun control laws (Moore & Newport, 1994; PR Newswire, 2000). While the public as a whole supports stricter gun control laws, differences in attitudes concerning gun control have been noted. For instance, past research indicates that differences in attitudes towards gun control exist on several overlapping levels including region of country, gentler, race, urbanization, familiarity with guns, and weapons training classes. Mom specifically, research indicates the following regarding gun control: * There are regional differences with Southerners more prone to opposing gun control than individuals from other regions of the country, although some evidence suggests that the regional differences are exaggerated (Brennan, Lizzotte, & McDowall, 1993; Livingston & Lee, 1992; Mauder, 1990; Moore & Newport, 1994; Mundt, 1990). * Males are more likely to oppose gun control than females are (Ellison, 1991; Kauder, 1993; Livingston & Lee, 1992; Marciniak & Loftin, 1991; Moore & Newport, 1994; Tyler & Lavrakas, 1983; Webster, Gainer & Champion, 1993). * Whites are more likely to oppose gun control efforts than are blacks (McClain, 1983; Secret & Johnson, 1989). * Those who live in urban counties are more likely to support gun control efforts than those who live in rural counties (Boor & Blair, 1990; Kauder, 1994; Price, Desmond, & Smith, 1991). * Those who are familiar with guns are more likely to oppose gun control than those who are not familiar with guns (Ellison, 1991; Hill, Howell, & Driver, 1985; Lizotte, Tesoriero, Thornberry, & Krohn, 1994; Rosen, 2000; Tyler & Lavrakas, 1983). * Those who have head weapons safety classes are more opposed to gun control than those who have not (Livingston & Lee, 1992). Building on past research, this research, in part, also investigates the role that race, gender, and community play in the forming of gun control attitudes. Of central concern in this research, however, was whether criminal justice majors have different attitudes towards gun control than non-criminal justice majors. The research questions framing this analysis were: 1. …

29 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors compare results from two recent national surveys of public opinion on gun control and related weapons-policy issues, one survey was commissioned by the National Rifle Association, the other by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Handgun Violence.
Abstract: This article compares results from two recent national surveys of public opinion on gun control and related weapons-policy issues. One survey was commissioned by the National Rifle Association, the other by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Handgun Violence. Despite the vastly different outlooks of the two sponsoring organizations, the results from both surveys are nearly identical everywhere a direct comparison is possible. Together, the two surveys thus provide a very detailed empirical portrait of the state of popular thinking on the regulation of private arms in the United States.

28 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
11 Aug 2017-PLOS ONE
TL;DR: Although there was a minor impact on threat perceptions of non-owners, neither group reported any increased gun-purchasing intentions or an increased need of a gun for protection and self-defense, suggesting people who are influenced by mass shootings to buy guns are probably an atypical minority.
Abstract: Mass public shootings are typically followed by a spike in gun sales as well as calls for stricter gun control laws. What remains unclear is whether the spike in gun sales is motivated by increased threat perceptions or by concerns about gun control, or whether the sales are mainly driven by non-owners purchasing guns or gun owners adding to their collection. Two surveys of gun owners and non-owners, conducted immediately before and after the Orlando shooting, allowed us to assess its impact on threat perceptions and on gun-purchasing intentions. Although there was a minor impact on threat perceptions of non-owners, neither group reported any increased gun-purchasing intentions or an increased need of a gun for protection and self-defense. We suggest that these responses are representative for the majority of Americans and, therefore, people who are influenced by mass shootings to buy guns are probably an atypical minority.

28 citations

Patent
08 Dec 2014
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a locking and unlocking device that can be configured to be disposed adjacent the trigger of a gun to alternatively prevent or enable firing, including a data receiver, a data memory and a logic device for determining whether data received by the receiver is the same, or substantially the same as data stored in the data memory.
Abstract: A gun locking and unlocking device, which may be configured to be disposed adjacent the trigger of a gun to alternatively prevent or enable firing, includes a data receiver, a data memory and a logic device for determining whether data received by the receiver is the same, or substantially the same, as data stored in the data memory. One or more separate electronic gun keys are provided to transmit gun lock/unlock data to the data receiver of the gun lock device. The logic device responds to a gun control signal transmitted by one of the gun key devices with priority over a gun control signal transmitted by another gun key device. The logic device automatically locks the gun when it is located in a prohibited area, such as a school. The logic device also locks the gun when the gun user is intoxicated or acting in an irrational manner. Once locked, the user must set a timer which allows the gun to be unlocked only after a specified “wait” time.

27 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
202356
202294
202139
202043
201950
201860