Stressed Out and Strapped: Examining the Link Between Psychological Difficulties and Student Weapon Carrying and Use

Abstract

Using data on middle-school adolescents from the Rural Substance Abuse and Violence Project (RSVP), the authors examined the extent to which psychological difficulties are related to student weapon carrying and use, net of other criminological variables. Furthermore, the authors examined whether psychological difficulties had variable effects across school contexts. Initial logistic regression models showed that variables tapping psychological difficulties (fear of crime, family history of mental illness, and low self-control) were significantly related to student weapon carrying and use. Once other criminological and demographic controls were added, only low self-control remained significant. Multilevel models incorporating random slope coefficients and cross-level interactions showed that the relationship between low self-control and student weapon carrying/use was attenuated in schools with higher levels of school efficacy and school security. Similarly, the relationship between fear of crime and weapon carrying depended on the level of school security, with the effect weakened as school security increased.

Proximity of Gun Stores to High Schools and Student Gun Carrying

“…In sum, previous research examining the effects of individual, school, and community-level factors on weapon carrying at school and among youth are limited in that they do not separate gun carrying from other types of weapon carrying (Johnson et al, 2019; Watkins, 2008; Wilcox & Clayton, 2001). Other studies have examined gun carrying specifically, but do not separate gun carrying at school from gun carrying outside of school (Cook & Ludwig, 2004; Xuan & Hemenway, 2015).…”

“…Several studies have examined the impacts of school- and community-level factors on weapon and gun carrying at school (Johnson et al, 2019; Watkins, 2008; Wilcox & Clayton, 2001). These studies have incorporated various school-level structural factors as controls such as percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (school SES), percentage of male students, percentage of minority students, urbanicity, and grade levels.…”

“…However, school factors and community measures of economic disadvantage, mobility, and violent crime were not associated with weapon carrying, suggesting that violence or environmental conditions external to schools do not influence student weapon carrying in and around schools. Johnson et al (2019) used data from middle school adolescents to examine whether psychological difficulties, including fear of crime, family history of mental illness, and low self-control, were associated with student weapon carrying and use. Like Wilcox and Clayton (2001) and Watkins (2008), the authors used an aggregate measure of weapon carrying.…”

Deviant Identity and Offending: A Longitudinal Study of South Korean Youths

“…We also control for other key correlates of youth delinquent behavior including low self-control, delinquent peers, social bonds measured by school attachment and parent attachment, and gender. The control variables were measured in a manner similar to other studies examining youth violence, especially among school-based samples (e.g., Johnson et al, 2019; O & Wilcox, 2018). Low self-control was measured by taking the mean of a total of nine survey items (1 = very untrue/strongly disagree.…”

A qualitative examination of weapon violence against teachers: A theoretical framework and analysis.

“…Two strong indicators of student weapon carrying (i.e., someone has possession of but does not use a weapon) and use in schools are student perceptions of peer weapon use (Williams et al, 2002) and a history of misconduct (Johnson et al, 2019). Weapon carrying among youth is highly dependent on context, interpersonal relationships, and self-control (Johnson et al, 2019). While not all students who carry weapons to school intend to engage in violence, weapon carrying is one of the strongest predictors of weapon use (Erickson et al, 2006).…”