Protective Gun Ownership as a Coping Mechanism

Buttrick, Nicholas R.

doi:10.1177/1745691619898847

Cited by 62 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 162 publications

(205 reference statements)

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“…20 These stressors can result in a host of psychological and behavioral consequences leading to increased rates of suicide and violence. [21][22][23][24] The prevalence of suicide has been increasing in the US for decades. Among the 48 344 US suicides in 2018, 24 432 (50.5%) were committed with firearms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New York State and the Nation: Trends in Firearm Purchases and Firearm Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Donnelly¹,

Barie

Grigorian³

et al. 2020

The American Surgeon™

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Background The impacts of social stressors on violence during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are unknown. We hypothesized that firearm purchases and violence would increase surrounding the pandemic. This study determined the impact of COVID-19 and shelter-in-place (SIP) orders on firearm purchases and incidents in the United States (US) and New York State (NYS). Methods Scatterplots reflected trends in firearm purchases, incidents, and deaths over a 16-month period (January 2019 to April 2020). Bivariate comparisons of SIP and non-SIP jurisdictions before and after SIP (February 2020 vs. April 2020) and April 2020 vs. April 2019 were performed with the Mann-Whitney U test. Results The incidence of COVID-19 in the US increased between February and April 2020 from 24 to 1 067 660 and in NYS from 0 to 304 372. When comparing February to March to April in the US, firearm purchases increased 33.6% then decreased 22.0%, whereas firearm incidents increased 12.2% then again increased by 3.6% and firearm deaths increased 23.8% then decreased in April by 3.8%. In NYS, comparing February to March to April 2020, firearm purchases increased 87.6% then decreased 54.8%, firearm incidents increased 110.1% then decreased 30.8%, and firearm deaths increased 57.1% then again increased by 6.1%. In both SIP and non-SIP jurisdictions, April 2020 firearm purchases, incidents, deaths, and injuries were similar to April 2019 and February 2020 (all P = NS). Discussion Coronavirus disease 2019–related stressors may have triggered an increase in firearm purchases nationally and within NYS in March 2020. Firearm incidents also increased in NYS. SIP orders had no effect on firearm purchases and firearm violence.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New York State and the Nation: Trends in Firearm Purchases and Firearm Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Donnelly¹,

Barie

Grigorian³

et al. 2020

The American Surgeon™

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“…First, guns may help their owners to feel safe, secure, and protected (Buttrick, 2020;Celinska, 2007;Dowd-Arrow, Hill, and Burdette, 2019;Mencken and Froese, 2019;Shapiro et al, 1997;Taylor, 2013;Warner, 2020). The idea is that owning a gun can be reassuring to individuals as they cope with a world that they define as uncertain and dangerous.…”

Section: Why Guns Should Promote Life Satisfactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, guns may empower their owners by contributing to a subjective sense of personal control over life (Buttrick, 2020;Celinska, 2007;Jiobu and Curry, 2001;Joslyn and Haider-Markel, 2017;Kohn, 2004;Melzer, 2009;Mencken and Froese, 2019;Shapiro et al, 1997;Taylor, 2013;Warner and Thrash, 2020). Warner and Thrash (2020:288) explain that "firearms are appealing because they are intimidating and can bestow on the carrier feelings of power."…”

Section: Why Guns Should Promote Life Satisfactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Third, guns may be experienced as pleasurable and enjoyable. This idea is linked to established recreational subcultures that are characterized by strong traditions of hunting, sporting, and collecting (Anderson and Taylor, 2010;Buttrick, 2020;Celinska, 2007;Joslyn and Haider-Markel, 2017;Kohn, 2004;Mencken and Froese, 2019;Taylor, 2013).…”

Section: Why Guns Should Promote Life Satisfactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, instead of alleviating fear, guns may serve as behavioral expressions of fear. The idea is that many people own guns because they are afraid of demographic shifts, failing institutions, government threats, and losing their weapons (Buttrick, 2020;Dowd-Arrow, Hill, and Burdette, 2019;Jiobu and Curry, 2001;Shapira and Simon, 2018;Steidley and Kosla, 2018;Stroebe, Pontus Leander, and Kruglanski, 2017). Buttrick (2020:847) reflects the underlying concern: "Although guns may make their owners feel better in the moment, they cannot address the fundamental sources of gun owners' threat and instead reinforce those threatening beliefs; consequently, protective gun owners, using their guns to attempt to cope with ever-increasing stress and unable to divest from the gun culture that has become so central to their identity, have trouble disengaging from this cycle."…”

Section: Why Guns Should Undermine Life Satisfactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gun Ownership and Life Satisfaction in the United States

Hill

Dowd‐Arrow

Burdette

et al. 2020

Social Science Quarterly

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ObjectiveAlthough there is little empirical evidence linking gun ownership with personal well‐being, speculation is widespread in gun culture. In this article, we test whether people who own guns are more or less satisfied with their lives than people who do not own guns.MethodsWe employ data collected from three national surveys, the Baylor Religion Survey (2014), the Chapman University Survey on American Fears (2014), and the General Social Survey (2018) to formally assess this understudied association.ResultsIn adjusted models, gun ownership was unrelated to life satisfaction. This general pattern was consistent across surveys, different measures and specifications of life satisfaction, and a wide range of subgroups.ConclusionOur analyses contribute to the growing study of gun ownership and personal well‐being and challenge theoretical perspectives and cultural narratives about how owning a gun can contribute favorably to one's quality of life.

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Passion for guns and beliefs in a dangerous world: An examination of defensive gun ownership

Bélanger,

Leander,

Agostini

et al. 2024

Aggressive Behavior

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This research examines the notion of defensive gun ownership using the Dualistic Model of Passion. We hypothesized that an obsessive (vs. harmonious) passion for guns would be associated with a belief in a dangerous world (BDW). We expected this relationship to intensify in threatening contexts, leading to a more expansive view on defensive gun ownership. We tested this hypothesis across three threat contexts: a gun‐control message (Study 1, N = 342), a live shooting simulation (Study 2, N = 398), and the aftermath of the Christchurch mass shootings (Study 3, N = 314). In the experimental Study 1, exposure to a gun‐control message increased the intention to purchase guns among those with an obsessive passion (OP) for guns. Study 2 revealed that BDW mediated the relationship between OP and assertive modes of protection, the desire to purchase high‐stopping‐power guns, and anti‐Black racial bias in a shooting task. Study 3 showed that knowledge of the Christchurch attack intensified the link between OP and BDW, leading to increased support for gun access, a willingness to act as a citizen‐protector, and prejudice against Muslims. Comprehending these dynamics can assist policymakers in crafting messaging campaigns for firearm regulation and public safety measures that are more effective.

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Protective Gun Ownership as a Coping Mechanism

Cited by 62 publications

References 162 publications

New York State and the Nation: Trends in Firearm Purchases and Firearm Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

New York State and the Nation: Trends in Firearm Purchases and Firearm Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Gun Ownership and Life Satisfaction in the United States

Passion for guns and beliefs in a dangerous world: An examination of defensive gun ownership

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