NCJ Number
32380
Journal
Social Problems Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Dated: (OCTOBER 1975) Pages: 93-107
Date Published
1975
Length
15 pages
Annotation
THIS STATISTICAL ANALYSIS, UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE THE SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GUN OWNERS IN THE UNITED STATES, UTILIZED DATA FROM THE NATIONAL OPINION RESEARCH CENTER'S 1973 GENERAL SOCIAL SURVEY.
Abstract
INCLUDED IN THE SOCIAL SURVEY WERE QUESTIONS ON SOCIAL BACKGROUND, OCCUPATION, GUN OWNERSHIP, FEAR OF CRIME, AND VICTIMIZATION. THE ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEY RESPONSES SHOWED THAT WEAPONS OWNERSHIP IS HIGHEST IN THE SMALL TOWNS AND RURAL AREAS, DECREASING AS CITY SIZE INCREASES. SIMILARLY, WEAPONS OWNERSHIP WAS HIGHEST IN SOUTHERN AREAS. HOWEVER, FOR ALL AREAS, IT WAS FOUND THAT GUN OWNERS ARE MOST OFTEN WHITE, PROTESTANT, AND MIDDLE TO UPPER-MIDDLE CLASS CITIZENS. POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS FOR GUN OWNERSHIP BASED ON THESE RESULTS ARE EXAMINED. THE AUTHORS THEN EXAMINE PATTERNS OF GUN OWNERSHIP IN THE CITIES. IT WAS FOUND THAT FOR URBAN RESIDENTS, ANTICIPATION AND EXPECTATION OF CRIME AND SIMILAR URBAN DEGRADATIONS WAS A MORE IMPORTANT DETERMINANT OF WEAPONS OWNERSHIP THAN ACTUAL EXPERIENCES WITH CRIME. FINALLY, THE DATA SHOWED THAT A MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION FAVORED STRICTER GUN CONTROL LAWS. HOWEVER, THIS FACT MAY BE COUNTERACTED BY THE ANTI-GUN CONTROL CONSTITUENCY, WHICH WAS FOUND TO BE QUITE SOPHISTICATED AND POLITICALLY ACTIVE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)