We study political violence as a public health issue, and in 2022, we launched an annual, nationally representative survey to explore personal willingness to engage in political violence. With strongly contested elections just weeks away, we’d like to share what we’ve learned.
Abstract BACKGROUNDMost Americans believe that gun-free zones make locations more vulnerable to violent crimes, particularly active shootings. However, there is no empirical evidence regarding the impact of gun-free zones on protecting locations from violence.
(SACRAMENTO) Gun-free zones have often been blamed for making schools, malls and other public areas more attractive to shooters; however, there have been no quantitative studies examining those claims. Now, in a first of its kind study published in The Lancet Regional Health Americas, researchers at UC Davis Health and other institutions have shown that gun-free zones may, in fact, reduce the risk of mass shootings.
Last year I sold my old vacuum on Nextdoor, a social networking service for neighborhoods. A stranger responded to my listing, we agreed on a price, and we arranged a place and time for making the exchange. Until recently, I could have legally sold a gun in much the same way in 29 states.
In this issue: Access to quality data is vital for research, and two recent court decisions have affirmed our continued access to crucial data that isn’t available in any other state.
Since 1989, VPRP researchers have used California’s unique Dealer’s Record of Sale (DROS) data to conduct ground-breaking research on firearm-related violence that simply couldn’t be done anywhere else. Examples span the decades:
The U.S. prohibits firearm purchase among individuals with specific risk factors. These prohibitions are operationalized using background checks for firearm purchase. Despite these restrictions, prohibited persons have obtained firearms after passing background checks, sometimes with devastating effects.
Prohibiting the purchase and possession of firearms by those at risk of violence is an established approach to preventing firearm violence. Prior studies of legal purchasers have focused on convictions for specific crimes, such as violent misdemeanors and driving under the influence (DUI). We broaden that line of inquiry by investigating and comparing the associations between prior arrests for most categories of crime and subsequent arrest for violent offenses among legal handgun purchasers in California.
“More than 33,000 people have died in mass shootings since January 1, 2023. Not only are guns the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 19 and young adults age 25 and under, but young Black Americans are 14 times more likely than white youth to die of gun homicide.
