Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Carrying a Gun to School during Adolescence: A Statewide Study of Middle and High School Students

Docherty, Meagan; Sweeten, Gary; Craig, T. T.; Yang, Vevette J. H.; Decrop, Romain; Beardslee, Jordan; Clark, Catie L.; Pardini, Dustin A.

doi:10.1080/15388220.2019.1703718

Cited by 23 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…The most common types of substances were drugs, followed by alcohol and cigarettes. Students who carried a weapon at school were more likely to feel that their school was unsafe [ 36 , 62 ], as did students who saw others carrying weapons at school [ 38 , 44 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeling Unsafe at School and Associated Mental Health Difficulties among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

et al. 2021

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This study systematically reviewed the literature on perceived school safety. We investigated the prevalence, factors and associated mental health difficulties, as well as cross-cultural findings. Five databases were searched up to 9 February 2021 for peer-reviewed papers published in English. We included quantitative studies that explored the perception of school safety among children and adolescents. The reference lists of the selected papers were also searched. We conducted a narrative synthesis of the included studies. The review included 43 papers. The mean prevalence of the students who felt unsafe at school was 19.4% and ranged from 6.1% to 69.1%. Their perceived safety was associated with a wide range of personal, school, and social factors. Not feeling safe at school was related to being victimized and mental health difficulties, including depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior. Higher perceived school safety was associated with measures such as the presence of a security officer and fair school rule enforcement. The results showed the lack of cross-cultural studies on perceived school safety. Empirical studies are needed that examine the mechanisms of school safety, using valid measures. A clear definition of school safety should be considered a key aspect of future studies.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeling Unsafe at School and Associated Mental Health Difficulties among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

et al. 2021

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“…Data from the most recent YRBS further indicate that about 4% of adolescents in the U.S. carried a gun in 2021 ( Harper et al, 2023 ). Gun carrying among adolescents can endanger adolescents’ safety and impact learning outcomes ( Docherty, Sweeten et al, 2020 ; Mukherjee et al, 2022 ). Yet, few studies have focused on examining factors associated with gun carrying among adolescents, drawing on nationally representative samples, partly due to the fact that the prevalence of gun carrying among adolescents is low relative to other weapons (Gunn III & Boxer, 2022; Kann et al, 2018 ), and gun carrying is often times combined with other weapons such as knives or clubs ( Lowry et al, 2023 ; Pham et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although most studies have focused on risk factors associated with gun carrying ( Beardslee, Docherty et al, 2021 ; Docherty, Mulvey et al, 2020 ; Docherty, Sweeten et al, 2020 ; Pontes & Pontes, 2021b ; Ray, 2022 ; Simon et al, 2022 ), it is equally important to take into account factors that might be protective against violent behaviors. Instead of focusing solely on identifying adolescents who might be at risk of carrying a gun, studies could also identify protective factors against gun carrying among adolescents.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure to Neighborhood Violence and Gun Carrying Among Adolescents in the United States: Findings From A Population-Based Study

Baiden,

Park,

LaBrenz

et al. 2024

J Interpers Violence

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Although studies have investigated and found an association between victimization and weapon carrying, few studies have examined the association between exposure to neighborhood violence (NV) and gun carrying among adolescents. The objective of this study was to examine the cross-sectional association between exposure to NV and gun carrying among adolescents. Data for this study came from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. An analytic sample of 17,033 adolescents aged 14 to 18 years old (51.7% male) was analyzed using logistic regression with complementary log-log link function. The outcome variable investigated in this study is gun carrying and was measured as a binary variable, whereas the main explanatory variable examined in this study was exposure to NV, which was also measured as a binary variable. Of the 17,033 adolescents, 4.2% carried a weapon during the past year, and 18.7% were exposed to NV. Controlling for the effects of other factors, adolescents who were exposed to NV had more than double the odds of carrying a gun when compared to their counterparts not exposed to NV (adjusted odds ratio = 2.33, 95% Confidence Intervals [1.69, 3.23]). Other significant factors associated with gun carrying include being a male, non-Hispanic Black, being threatened or injured with a weapon, use of alcohol, cigarette smoking, and misuse of prescription opioids. High parental monitoring was protective against gun carrying. The findings of this study underscore the importance of developing age-appropriate intervention strategies to reduce gun carrying among adolescents. School counselors and other professionals working with adolescents in disadvantaged neighborhoods should actively engage parents in assessments and interventions.

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Urban School Violence: Responding with Culture and Protective Factors Among Youth of Color

Wallace

Dixon²,

McGee³

et al. 2023

School Violence and Primary Prevention

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Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Carrying a Gun to School during Adolescence: A Statewide Study of Middle and High School Students

Cited by 23 publications

References 20 publications

Feeling Unsafe at School and Associated Mental Health Difficulties among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Feeling Unsafe at School and Associated Mental Health Difficulties among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Exposure to Neighborhood Violence and Gun Carrying Among Adolescents in the United States: Findings From A Population-Based Study

Urban School Violence: Responding with Culture and Protective Factors Among Youth of Color

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