NCJ Number
130037
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1991) Pages: 186-188
Date Published
1991
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Two measures of firearm availability -- the percentage of suicides using firearms and the accidental firearm death rate -- were used to examine the effect of firearm availability on the use of firearms for murder in a sample of 16 European nations.
Abstract
Data were solicited from members of the International Association for Suicide Prevention for the numbers of suicides and homicides by each method in 1980 and for the number of accidental deaths caused by firearms. The firearm homicide rate was higher where firearm availability as measured by the percentage of suicides using firearms and by the firearm accidental rate was greater. Nations with greater availability of firearms had a higher firearm homicide rate as predicted by Clarke and Mayhew's situational hypothesis. There was no evidence of displacement. This suggests that increased firearm availability creates additional homicides rather than simply changing the murder weapon of choice. 1 table and 4 references (Author abstract modified)