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Author: Choi, Yoo-Jin
Resulting in 1 citation.
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Choi, Yoo-Jin |
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Handgun Carrying Among Young United States Adolescents Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Minnesota, 2003. DAI-A 64/01, p. 104, Jul 2003 Cohort(s): NLSY97 Publisher: UMI - University Microfilms, Bell and Howell Information and Learning Keyword(s): Adolescent Behavior; Alcohol Use; Behavioral Problems; Demography; Drug Use; Family Studies; Gender Differences; Handguns, carrying or using; Neighborhood Effects; Peers/Peer influence/Peer relations; Racial Differences; Sociability/Socialization/Social Interaction The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which handgun carrying is affected by adolescents' demographic characteristics, problem behaviors, experience with violence, sibling influence, peer influence, and social bonding. This research was guided by five questions: (a) To what extent do demographic characteristics predict young adolescent gun carrying? (b) To what extent does the problem behavior theory predict young adolescent gun carrying? (c) To what extent does the self-protection theory predict young adolescent gun carrying? (d) To what extent does social learning theory predict young adolescent gun carrying? and (e) To what extent does social control theory predict young adolescent gun carrying? The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 dataset was used. Four thousand six hundred and forty-nine adolescents aged 12 to 14 were included in this study. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the effects of the demographic and predictor variables on handgun carrying. The findings indicate that the strongest predictor of gun carrying is gender. Young males were significantly more likely to carry a handgun than young females. Further, the strongest predictor of handgun carrying was selling or helping sell drugs for male adolescents and gang involvement for female adolescents. Young adolescents were more likely to carry a handgun if they engaged in drinking alcohol, sold or helped sell drugs, became involved in serious fights or assaults, belonged to a gang, witnessed a shooting before age 12, and heard gunshots. Factors associated with an increase in the probability of carrying a handgun, for both male and female adolescents, included gang involvement and witnessing a shooting before age 12. There were no protective factors for female adolescents, while being black and monitored by mother were protective factors for male adolescents. Findings of this study indicated that handgun carrying among U.S. adolescents is related to multiple factors which include family, peers, schools, and neighborhoods. Thus, prevention and intervention programs and family education programs should make an effort to address the risk factors across these multiple contexts. Findings from this study also can provide information that can inform U.S. policy and, in turn, prevent adolescent gun carrying. |
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Bibliography Citation
Choi, Yoo-Jin. Handgun Carrying Among Young United States Adolescents. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Minnesota, 2003. DAI-A 64/01, p. 104, Jul 2003. |