Reporting Error in Household Gun Ownership in the 2000 General Social Survey

• NCJ Number: 245057
• Journal: Crime and Delinquency Volume: 59 Issue: 6 Dated: September 2013 Pages: 811-836
• Author(s): Richard L. Legault
• Date Published: September 2013
• Length: 26 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the possibility of error in the reporting of household firearm ownership.

Abstract

The use of surveys is one of the few ways to determine the extent and character of firearms ownership in the United States. The findings from such surveys have implications for both firearms research and firearms policy. Using data from the 2000 General Social Survey, the author examines the possibility of error in the reporting of household firearm ownership. Strong and significant differences in ownership reporting are found between married men and women, especially for those who were not socialized in part of a traditional "gun culture." Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.