Mass Shootings: A Research Guide: Gun Violence
Introduction
In the wake of every mass shooting, there are inevitably calls for tighter gun control as well as calls to put more guns in the hands of ordinary citizens, both in the name of increasing safety and security. These calls reflect a longstanding national debate about gun control generally.
- Gun Regulation and Legislation in America This link opens in a new window(CSUSB Users Only.) From Hein Online, this archival database brings together primary and secondary sources on the history of gun control in the United States.
Background Reading
Firearms and Violence: A Critical Review by Call Number: ebookISBN: 0309091241Publication Date: 2004
Gun Violence: Opposing Viewpoints by Call Number: HV7435 .G862 2011ISBN: 9780737749663Publication Date: 2011
- CQ Researcher: Gun Violence(CSUSB users only.) May 25, 2007; written in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings.
- CQ Researcher: Gun Control(CSUSB users only.) March 8, 2013; written in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings.
Data Sources
As with data on mass shootings, there is a relative lack of research data on U.S. gun violence generally. This is generally attributed to passage of the "Dickey Amendment" in 1996, which stated that "none of the funds made available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may be used to advocate or promote gun control." For a recent summary of this issue, see this article from the New York Times:
Some states have begun separate initiatives to study gun violence, such as California's Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis. Meanwhile, researchers must rely on currently available data.
Government Sources:
- CDC FastStats: Assault or HomicideWhile not all homicides involve firearms, some statistics on firearm homicides are available. Links to information about injuries and suicides involving firearms.
- Bureau of Justice Statistics: Weapon UseCovers weapons use during crime; includes some reports on firearms.
- The Uniform Crime Report (Crime in the United States)Consult the "Crime in the United States" annual reports for information on weapons use, homicides, and assault.
- Firearm Mortality by State: YearlyData derived ultimately from the National Vital Statistics Reports.
- National Violent Death Reporting SystemThough not gun-focused, this data does include causes of death, including firearms.
- National Vital Statistics ReportsSee data under "Deaths."
- Deaths Resulting from Firearm and Motor Vehicle Related Injuries, United States, 1968-1991Report from the Centers for Disease Control.
Other Sources:
- Gun Violence ArchiveAll gun violence, including mass shootings, since 2012
- America's Gun Culture in 10 ChartsThis article from BBC news uses data from a variety of sources to provide infographics about U.S. gun ownership, attitudes, and violence.
- People Killed by Police in the U.S.From the Guardian newspaper in England, an interactive database.
- Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and ResearchA variety of research articles (all free) about gun use and public opinion.
More guns = less crime?
This particular assertion has its own body of scholarly literature both for and against. It stems from Lott and Mustard's original controversial finding that laws permitting citizens to carry concealed handguns have caused crime to fall.
Suggested keyword combinations:
- more guns less crime
- "concealed carry" crime
- right-to-carry crime
- shall-issue crime
Selected research examples:
More Guns, Less Crime by Call Number: KF3941 .L68 2010ISBN: 9780226493664Publication Date: 2010 (3rd ed.)Lott authored this book based on his earlier research.
- Ayres, I. , & Donohue, J. (2003). Shooting down the "more guns, less crime" hypothesis. Stanford Law Review, 55(4), 1193-1312.(CSUSB users only.) Rebuts the Lott & Mustard article.
- Plassmann, F., & Whitley, J.. (2003). Confirming "more guns, less crime". Stanford Law Review, 55(4), 1313–1369.(CSUSB users only.) Rebuts Ayres & Donohue.
- Kleck, G. (2015). The impact of gun ownership rates on crime rates: A methodological review of the evidence. Journal of Criminal Justice, 43(1), 40-48. doi:10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2014.12.002(CSUSB users only.) A review and meta-analysis.
- Duwe, G., Kovandzic, T., & Moody, C. E. (2002). The impact of right-to-carry concealed firearm laws on mass public shootings. Homicide Studies, 6(4), 271. doi:10.1177/108876702237341(CSUSB users only). Concludes that right-to-carry laws have no effect, negative or positive, on mass shootings.
Related Issues
- PolitiFact: Is Barack Obama correct that mass killings don't happen in other countries?June 22, 2015. The answer relies on work by Schildkraut and Elsass, whose works are cited elsewhere in this guide.
- Chapman, S. , Alpers, P. , Agho, K. , & Jones, M. (2006). Australia's 1996 gun law reforms: Faster falls in firearm deaths, firearm suicides, and a decade without mass shootings. Injury Prevention, 12(6), 365-372.(CSUSB users only.) Examines the effect of a change to stricter gun control laws in Australia.
- Wallace, L. N. (2015). Responding to violence with guns: Mass shootings and gun acquisition. The Social Science Journal, 52(2), 156-167. doi:10.1016/j.soscij.2015.03.002(CSUSB users only.) Examines whether shooting incidents lead to an increase in gun purchases.