NCJ Number
190120
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 29 Issue: 4 Dated: July/August 2001 Pages: 287-294
Editor(s)
Kent B. Joscelyn
Date Published
August 2001
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article examined the impact of Canada’s Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1977 (Bill C-51) introducing stricter gun control on reducing Canada’s homicide rate in the general population based on age and sex and through a multiple regression analysis.
Abstract
In the United States, where most research on the impact of gun control on homicide had been conducted, gun control had been controversial. This article examined gun control in Canada and its impact on homicide rates as a result of Canada’s Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1977 (Bill C-51) through an age and sex study and a time series regression analysis. The Act required acquisition certificates for all firearms, restricted the availability of some types of firearms to certain types of individuals, set up procedures for handling and storing firearms, required permits for those selling firearms, and increased the sentences for firearm offenses. Results of the age and sex studies showed that homicide rates declined most among the most vulnerable, the older victims and female victims. In order to see whether other social changes might have had an impact on homicide rates from guns, time series regressions were run for the period 1969 to 1985. The results indicated that the passage of Bill C-51 was associated with a decline in the overall homicide rate, a non-significant decline in the firearms homicide rate, no increase in the homicide rate by all other methods, and a non-significant reduction in the percentage of homicides committed by guns. Results were similar for male victims of homicide. The results, however, were different for female victims of homicide, with only divorce rates significantly associated with the total homicide rate. The passage of Bill C-51 introducing stricter gun control appeared to have been followed by a significant reduction in the homicide rate, even after controlling for some social variables. However, there might have been social changes in other than those considered in the study that might have been responsible for changes in the homicide rates. The study recommended additional research to strengthen the conclusion that the passage of the gun control law in Canada had a significant impact on homicide. Tables and references