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Christensen JT, Jones MS, Hoffmann JP. Bullying Victimization and Youth's Likelihood of Carrying a Handgun. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2024:8862605241270006. [PMID: 39126167 DOI: 10.1177/08862605241270006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Recent research suggests that bullying victimization increases the risk of handgun carrying among adolescents. Yet, little to no research has considered whether different types of bullying victimization (i.e., physical, verbal, cyber) shape handgun-carrying behaviors among youth. Understanding these relationships can, however, inform intervention efforts addressing youths' access to and motives for carrying handguns. The purposes of this study are twofold. First, we establish whether there is a relationship between bullying victimization and youth handgun carrying. Second, we seek to determine whether certain types of bullying victimization are associated more strongly with handgun carrying than others, using data from the 2022 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS, n = 47,572), a statewide representative sample of Florida middle school and high school students. The results from multinomial regression models indicate that physical bullying and cyberbullying victimization were associated with an elevated risk of carrying a handgun in the past 12 months. Interventions that underscore the importance of comprehensive anti-bullying interventions that not only address traditional physical aggression among adolescents but also mitigate the evolving challenges posed by unsupervised digital spaces may reduce the risk of handgun carrying.
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Baiden P, Park Y, LaBrenz CA, Childress S. Exposure to Neighborhood Violence and Gun Carrying Among Adolescents in the United States: Findings From A Population-Based Study. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2024; 39:3396-3423. [PMID: 38357885 PMCID: PMC11281864 DOI: 10.1177/08862605241231616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
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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Mukherjee S, Gordils J. Factors Associated With Gun Possession Among High-School Students in the U.S. Before and During the Pandemic. Psychol Rep 2024:332941241263750. [PMID: 38913602 DOI: 10.1177/00332941241263750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Background: Adolescents' possession of guns was a matter of concern even before the pandemic. It is pertinent to examine whether students continued possessing guns after schools reopened, and if so, identify factors that might have been associated with such behaviors. Towards this end, the present study examined the relationship between highschool students' experiences and their propensity to possess guns. Methods: This used responses from multiple nationally representative cross-sectional surveys of high school students from the 2019 and 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the 2021 Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey (ABES). Gun possession within the past year was the main outcome of interest. Experiences of violence, assault, injury, and other adverse experiences were the independent variables. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions, adjusting for sample weights, were performed using SAS. Results: Out of a total of more than 25,000 and 38,000 valid responses, respectively in 2019 and 2021 to the question on gun possession, 4.7% and 4.2% reported carrying a gun at least once within the past year. Experiences of sexual violence, involvement in physical fight, perceived lack of safety, and being threatened/injured by weapons, were associated with higher adjusted odds of guns possession among males and females. Among ABES 2021 respondents (more than 7500), those who witnessed violence in the neighborhood were more likely to possess guns. This association was significant among males, whereas parents being informed about whereabouts was significant for females. Conclusion: This study shows that adverse experiences were associated with a higher odds of guns possession among female and male highschool students. Witnessing violent attack on someone in the neighborhood emerged as a risk factor for males. This suggests that social determinants of health as well as adverse experiences are associated with gun possession among high-school students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumyadeep Mukherjee
- Department of Health & Physical Education, Rhode Island College, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Jonathan Gordils
- Department of Psychology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, USA
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Rossheim ME, Khoshhal B, Karon S, Cheskin LJ, Trangenstein PJ, Frankenfeld CL, Ramezani N, Cuellar AE. Substance use and firearm access among college freshmen. JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH : J OF ACH 2024; 72:1001-1005. [PMID: 35549821 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2022.2068959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Examine the proportion of students with rapid firearm access and associations with recent alcohol and marijuana use. PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional data from college freshmen (n = 183) in 2020 who participated in the Mason: Health Starts Here study. METHODS Using logistic regression, associations were examined between past 30-day substance use and access to firearms within 15-min. RESULTS More than 10% of students could rapidly access a firearm, 53% of whom were current binge drinkers, compared to 13% of those who could not rapidly access firearms. Non-Hispanic White students (AOR = 4.1, 95%CI = 1.3,12.7) and past 30-day binge drinkers (AOR = 6.4, 95%CI = 2.1,19.7) had greater odds of having rapid firearm access. Age, sex, and past 30-day marijuana use were not associated with rapid access. CONCLUSIONS A notable proportion of students had rapid firearm access, which was strongly associated with recent binge drinking. Campus prevention programs should consider how their alcohol and firearm policies could be enhanced to prevent violence/self-harm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Rossheim
- School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Bita Khoshhal
- College of Health and Human Services, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Samantha Karon
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lawrence J Cheskin
- College of Health and Human Services, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | | | - Cara L Frankenfeld
- Public Health Program, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington, USA
| | - Niloofar Ramezani
- College of Engineering and Computing, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Alison E Cuellar
- College of Health and Human Services, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
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Ellyson AM, Schleimer JP, Dalve K, Gause E, Weybright EH, Kuklinski MR, Oesterle S, Rowhani-Rahbar A. The association of alcohol use and heavy drinking with subsequent handgun carrying among youth from rural areas. J Rural Health 2024; 40:181-191. [PMID: 37534942 PMCID: PMC11000423 DOI: 10.1111/jrh.12789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Alcohol use and handgun carrying are more prevalent among youth in rural than urban areas and their association may be stronger among rural adolescents. Alcohol use may be modifiable with implications for reducing handgun carrying and firearm-related harm. We examined the association between lagged alcohol use and subsequent handgun carrying in rural areas and examined variation in the association by developmental stages, hypothesizing that it would be stronger among adolescents than youth adults. METHODS We used a longitudinal sample of 2,002 adolescents from ages 12 to 26 growing up in 12 rural communities in 7 states with surveys collected from 2004 to 2019. We estimated the association of lagged past-month alcohol use on handgun carrying in the subsequent 12 months using population-average generalized estimating equations with logistic regression on multiply imputed data. FINDINGS During adolescence (ages 12-18), those who drank heavily had 1.43 times the odds (95% CI = [1.01, 2.03]) of subsequent handgun carrying compared to those who did not drink alcohol, and those who consumed alcohol but did not drink heavily had 1.30 times the odds of subsequent handgun carrying compared to those who did not drink (95% CI = [0.98, 1.71]). During young adulthood (ages 19-26), associations of alcohol use (OR = 1.28; 95% CI = [0.94, 1.63]) and heavy drinking (OR = 1.38; 95% CI = [1.08, 1.68]) were similar to adolescence. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol use and subsequent handgun carrying were positively associated during adolescence and young adulthood among individuals who grew up in rural areas, similar to findings in urban areas. Reducing alcohol use may be an important strategy to prevent handgun carrying and firearm-related harm among young people in rural areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice M. Ellyson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington 1959 NE Pacific St. Box 356320, Seattle, WA 98195-6320, United States
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute M/S CW8-5, PO BOX 5371, Seattle, WA 98145-5005, United States
| | - Julia P. Schleimer
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington Box 351619, Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Kimberly Dalve
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington Box 351619, Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Emma Gause
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington Box 351619, Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Elizabeth H. Weybright
- Department of Human Development, Washington State University 512 Johnson Tower, PO Box 644852, Pullman, WA 99164-4852, United States
| | - Margaret R. Kuklinski
- Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington 9725 Third Ave NE, Ste 401, Seattle, WA 98115, United States
| | - Sabrina Oesterle
- Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center, School of Social Work, Arizona State University 201 N Central Ave, Floor 33, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States
| | - Ali Rowhani-Rahbar
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington 1959 NE Pacific St. Box 356320, Seattle, WA 98195-6320, United States
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington Box 351619, Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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O'Connor KE, Sullivan TN, Ross KM. Individual- and Peer-Level Risk and Protective Factors for Gun Carriage Among Adolescents Living in Low-Income Urban Communities. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2023; 38:5564-5590. [PMID: 36218145 DOI: 10.1177/08862605221124252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Carrying a handgun is an established risk factor for firearm violence, with detrimental and too often irreversible consequences for adolescents including injury and mortality. Although researchers identified a number of risk factors for adolescent handgun carriage, little is known regarding the role of strengths or developmental assets in buffering against risk. The goal of this study was to identify both risk and protective factors for handgun carriage among a predominantly African American (88%) community-based sample of adolescents (Mage = 14.3) who resided in urban communities with high rates of poverty and exposure to violence. Consistent with prior work, we found that adolescents with access to a handgun or with friends who had carried a handgun had higher odds of carrying a handgun themselves in the past 3 months. Handgun access, friends' handgun carriage, and beliefs supporting reactive aggression were identified as risk factors for handgun carriage. Although personal and social assets and positive outlook moderated these relations, the direction was contrary to our hypotheses. We believe that these findings are in part due to structural inequities and social norms impacting adolescents in urban communities characterized by concentrated poverty and high rates of violence. Our findings highlight the value of moving beyond a deficit-oriented framework to gain a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics among both positive and negative factors that alter risk for handgun carriage among African American youth living in low-income urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E O'Connor
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Terri N Sullivan
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Katherine M Ross
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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Schleimer JP, Gause E, Dalve K, Ellyson A, Rowhani-Rahbar A. Rural-Urban Variation in the Association of Adolescent Violence and Handgun Carrying in the United States, 2002-2019. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e231153. [PMID: 36853603 PMCID: PMC9975933 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.1153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Adolescent handgun carrying is associated with increased risk of firearm-related violence. Most evidence on adolescent handgun carrying is from urban areas, but these findings may not generalize to rural areas. Objective To examine differences in associations of adolescent interpersonal violence with handgun carrying across the rural-urban continuum. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study used nationally representative data from the US National Survey on Drug Use and Health among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years from 2002 to 2019 to estimate time-varying prevalence ratios (PRs) and prevalence differences (PDs) between interpersonal violence and handgun carrying across the rural-urban continuum. Analyses were conducted in April to July 2022. Exposures Any past-year serious fighting, group fighting, and attacking with intent to harm. Main Outcomes and Measures Any past-year handgun carrying. Associations were estimated within county rural-urban strata using the US Department of Agriculture's Rural-Urban Continuum Codes. Results In each year, the sample included a weighted count of almost 25 million adolescents, with 50.9% (95% CI, 50.2%-51.6%) males and 24.7% (95% CI, 23.8%-25.6%) Hispanic adolescents, 13.5% (95% CI, 12.8%-14.2%) non-Hispanic Black adolescents, and 51.8% (95% CI, 50.8%-52.8%) non-Hispanic White adolescents in 2019. More rural counties had less racial and ethnic diversity. For example, 81.1% (95% CI, 75.9%-85.4%) of adolescents were non-Hispanic White in the most rural counties vs 43.1% (95% CI, 41.7%-44.6%) of adolescents were non-Hispanic White in the most urban counties in 2019. Adolescent handgun carrying increased over time, with the largest increases in the most rural counties, where the prevalence of adolescent handgun carrying increased from 5.2% (95% CI, 3.8%-7.0%) in 2003 to 12.4% (95% CI, 8.9%-16.9%) in 2019. PRs for the association of violence and handgun carrying were greater in more urban counties. For example, in the most urban counties in 2019, adolescents involved in a group fight had 3.7 (95% CI, 2.9-4.8) times the prevalence of handgun carrying vs those not involved in a group fight; this PR was 3.1 (95% CI, 1.6-5.6) in the most rural counties. PDs were similar and, in some cases, larger in rural areas. For example, in the most urban counties in 2019, handgun carrying prevalence was 7.5% (95% CI, 5.7%-9.5%) higher among adolescents who were involved in a group fight compared with those who were not; this PD was 21.8% (95% CI, 8.2%-37.8%) in the most rural counties, where handgun carrying was more common. Conclusions and Relevance This cross-sectional study found that associations of interpersonal violence with handgun carrying were stronger in relative terms in urban areas than in rural areas; however, a higher percentage of rural than urban adolescents carried handguns, resulting in a greater absolute prevalence of handgun carrying associated with violence in rural areas than in urban areas. These findings suggest opportunities for preventing handgun carrying-related harms may differ between rural and urban communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia P. Schleimer
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle
- Firearm Injury and Policy Research Program, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Emma Gause
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle
- Firearm Injury and Policy Research Program, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Kimberly Dalve
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle
- Firearm Injury and Policy Research Program, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Alice Ellyson
- Firearm Injury and Policy Research Program, University of Washington, Seattle
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Ali Rowhani-Rahbar
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle
- Firearm Injury and Policy Research Program, University of Washington, Seattle
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle
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8
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Ganson KT, Testa A, Rodgers RF, Jackson DB, Nagata JM. Muscle-Building Exercise and Weapon Carrying and Physical Fighting Among U.S. Adolescent Boys. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2023; 38:2566-2584. [PMID: 35546543 PMCID: PMC9850380 DOI: 10.1177/08862605221101192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the association between engagement in muscle-building exercise and weapon carrying and physical fighting among adolescent boys. Cross-sectional data from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (U.S.) were analyzed (N = 4120). Muscle-building exercise was assessed based on the number of days reported in the past 7 days, recategorized into four levels of engagement (no engagement [0 days], low engagement [1-2 days], moderate engagement [3-5 days], and high engagement [6-7 days]). Three forms of weapon carrying (general, on school grounds, gun carrying) and two forms of physical fighting (general, on school grounds) were assessed. Five logistic regression analyses with adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to determine the association between engagement in muscle-building exercise and weapon carrying and physical fighting, while adjusting for relevant demographic and control variables. Over 75% of participants reported engaging in muscle-building exercise. One in five (19.8%) participants reported any general weapon carrying in the past 30 days, 3.3% reported any weapon carrying at school in the past 30 days, 6.5% reported any gun carrying in the past 12 months, 28.0% reported any general physical fighting in the past 12 months, and 10.7% reported any physical fighting at school in the past 12 months. Logistic regressions showed that, compared to no engagement, participants who reported high engagement of muscle-building exercise had higher odds of general weapon carrying (AOR 2.18, 95% CI 1.54-3.07), gun carrying (AOR 2.12, 95% CI 1.23-3.64), and general physical fighting (AOR 2.07, 95% CI 1.53-2.79). These are novel findings that add to a growing literature related to engagement in muscularity-oriented behaviors among males. Prevention and intervention efforts are needed to ensure that adolescent boys engage in muscle-building exercise in ways that are not harmful and to reduce weapon carrying and physical fighting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander Testa
- University of Texas Health Science Center at
Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rachel F. Rodgers
- Northeastern
University, Boston, MA, USA
- Lapeyronie
Hospital, CHRU Montpellier, France
| | - Dylan B. Jackson
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jason M. Nagata
- University of
California, San Francisco, San Francisco,
CA, USA
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Dong B, Wilson DB. State Firearm Legislation and Youth/Young Adult Handgun Carrying in the United States. J Adolesc Health 2022; 71:751-756. [PMID: 36229394 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To examine the association between state firearm legislation and youth/young adult handgun carrying in the United States and to identify policy priority areas for intervention. METHODS We linked person-level gun carrying data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. youth and young adults with state-level gun policies over a 15-year period. Cross-classified mixed effects logistic regressions estimated the associations between state gun policies and handgun carrying and explored whether the associations varied by person-level demographic characteristics. RESULTS Youth and young adults in states with a greater number of gun policies were less likely to carry a handgun than youth and young adults in states with fewer gun policies. Regulations on gun purchasing, concealed carrying permitting, and domestic violence-related laws were particularly important in reducing youth/young adult gun-carrying behavior. In addition, these associations varied by gender and race/ethnicity. DISCUSSION State firearm legislation may be an effective mechanism to reduce youth and young adult gun carrying and ultimately mitigate gun-related mortality and morbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beidi Dong
- Department of Criminology, Law and Society, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia.
| | - David B Wilson
- Department of Criminology, Law and Society, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
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Mukherjee S, Taleb ZB, Baiden P. Locked, Loaded, and Ready for School: The Association of Safety Concerns With Weapon-carrying Behavior Among Adolescents in the United States. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2022; 37:NP7751-NP7774. [PMID: 33135532 DOI: 10.1177/0886260520969403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
There is limited, if any, prior research exploring the potential link between adolescents' safety concerns and their predisposition to possess weapons has been limited. This study aimed to examine the relationship between high school students' perceived lack of safety and their weapons carrying behavior in a multiyear nationally representative sample of high school students. Information on self-reported weapons carrying in past month and gun carrying in past year, perceived lack of safety at school or during commute, being bullied and/or threatened, involvement in physical fights, and demographic characteristics were retrieved from Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey data for 1991-2017. Generalized linear mixed models were used to address data clustering by survey year. Sampling design and sample weights were accounted for. Of a total number of 195,280 respondents with valid responses during 1991-2017, 18%, 7%, and 5%, respectively, carried weapon(s) in general, weapon(s) to school, and gun. On an average, 5% skipped school due to safety concerns. Missing ≥2 school days was associated with weapon (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.25; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.94 -2.61) and gun (AOR: 3.18; 95% CI: 1.81 -5.58) possessions, as well as weapons possession in school (AOR: 2.47; 95% CI: 1.96 -3.12). Experiences of weapons-induced injury(ies) or threat(s), and involvement in physical fights were other significant covariates in adjusted analyses. Compared with non-Hispanic whites, students of other racial/ethnic groups had significantly lower odds of possessing weapons. Perceived lack of safety emerged as a potential determinant of weapon carrying, a behavior with far-reaching public health concerns. While future research looking into the psychological motivations of possessing weapons is recommended, our findings offer a unique opportunity to address the crucial problems of school absenteeism induced by experiences of aggression and fears for safety as well as preempt the consequences of weapons-possession by adolescents.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study explores the changing prevalence of adolescent handgun carriage, with attention to differences across sociodemographic groups. METHODS Data were drawn from repeated cross-sectional, nationally representative surveys conducted annually from 2002 to 2019, the National Survey on Drug Use & Health. The study sample included adolescents aged 12 to 17 (N = 297 055). Logistic regression models estimated the prevalence of past year handgun carriage across cohort and sociodemographic subgroups. Interactions between 4-time cohorts and other variables explored sociodemographic variability in prevalence rates over time. RESULTS Handgun carriage increased significantly, particularly among rural, White, and higher-income adolescents. Carriage increased by 41% over cohorts, with predicted prevalence rates increasing from 3.3% in 2002-2006 to 4.6% in 2015-2019. Across cohorts, rural (5.1%), American Indian/Alaskan Native (5.2%), lower-income (<$20 000; 3.9%), male (5.9%), and older (16-17 years old; 4.5%) adolescents were the most likely to report carriage. However, these patterns changed significantly over time, with White and higher-income adolescents (>$75 000) most likely to carry in the most recent cohorts. Predicted carriage rates increased from 3.1% to 5.3% among White adolescents, from 2.6% to 5.1% among higher-income adolescents, and from 4.3% to 6.9% among rural adolescents between the 2002-2006 and 2015-2019 cohorts. Carriage among Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and lower-income adolescents decreased. CONCLUSIONS Adolescent handgun carriage is increasing, concentrated among particular subgroups of youth, and carriage patterns across sociodemographic groups have changed over time. Programs to address the risk of adolescent gun carriage should be tailored to the specific sociocultural and place-based concerns of diverse adolescents.
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Ellyson AM, Gause EL, Oesterle S, Kuklinski MR, Briney JS, Weybright EH, Haggerty KP, Lyons VH, Schleimer JP, Rowhani-Rahbar A. Trajectories of Handgun Carrying in Rural Communities From Early Adolescence to Young Adulthood. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e225127. [PMID: 35377427 PMCID: PMC8980900 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.5127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Importance Characterizing patterns of handgun carrying among adolescents and young adults can inform programs to reduce firearm-related harm. Longitudinal patterns of handgun carrying among rural adolescents have not been identified. Objectives To assess specific points of intervention by characterizing patterns of handgun carrying by youths in rural communities from early adolescence to young adulthood and to quantify how age at initiation, duration, and frequency of carrying differ across identified patterns. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study uses the control group of the community-randomized trial of the Communities That Care prevention system, conducted among public school students in 12 rural communities across 7 states. Participants self-reported their handgun carrying at 10 data collection points from 12 to 26 years of age (2005-2019). Data were analyzed from January to July 2021. Main Outcomes and Measures Handgun carrying in the past 12 months. Latent class growth analysis was used to estimate handgun carrying trajectories. Results In this longitudinal rural sample of 2002 students, 1040 (51.9%) were male; 532 (26.6%) were Hispanic, Latino, Latina, or Latinx; 1310 (65.4%) were White; and the highest level of educational attainment of either parent was a high school degree or less for 649 students (32.4%). The prevalence of handgun carrying in the last 12 months ranged from 5.3% (95 of 1795) to 7.4% (146 of 1969) in adolescence and increased during the mid-20s (range, 8.9% [154 of 1722] to 10.9% [185 of 1704] from 23 to 26 years of age). Among the participants who reported handgun carrying at least once between 12 and 26 years of age (n = 601 [30.0%]), 320 (53.2%) reported carrying a handgun in only 1 wave. Latent class growth analysis indicated 6 longitudinal trajectories: never or low probability of carrying (1590 [79.4%]), emerging adulthood carrying (166 [8.3%]), steadily increasing carrying (163 [8.1%]), adolescent carrying (53 [2.6%]), declining carrying (24 [1.2%]), and high probability and persistent carrying (6 [0.3%]). The earliest mean (SD) age at initiation of handgun carrying occurred in both the adolescent and declining carrying groups at the ages of 12.6 (0.9) and 12.5 (0.7) years, respectively. More than 20% of some groups (emerging adulthood [age 26 years: 49 of 154 (31.8%)], steadily increasing [age 26 years: 37 of 131 (28.2%)], declining [age 13 years: 7 of 23 (30.4%)], and high probability and persistent carrying [age 15 years: 3 of 6 (50.0%)]) reported carrying 40 times or more in the past year by the age of 26 years. Conclusions and Relevance This study found distinct patterns of handgun carrying from adolescence to young adulthood in rural settings. Findings suggest that promoting handgun safety in rural areas should start early. Potential high-risk trajectories, including carrying at high frequencies, should be the focus of future work to explore the antecedents and consequences of handgun carrying in rural areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice M. Ellyson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle
- Firearm Injury and Policy Research Program, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Emma L. Gause
- Firearm Injury and Policy Research Program, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Sabrina Oesterle
- Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center, School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix
| | - Margaret R. Kuklinski
- Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - John S. Briney
- Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle
| | | | - Kevin P. Haggerty
- Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Vivian H. Lyons
- Firearm Injury and Policy Research Program, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Julia P. Schleimer
- Firearm Injury and Policy Research Program, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Ali Rowhani-Rahbar
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle
- Firearm Injury and Policy Research Program, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle
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13
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Beardslee J, Kan E, Simmons C, Pardini D, Peniche M, Frick PJ, Steinberg L, Cauffman E. A Within-Individual Examination of the Predictors of Gun Carrying During Adolescence and Young Adulthood Among Young Men. J Youth Adolesc 2021; 50:1952-1969. [PMID: 34272654 PMCID: PMC8417009 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-021-01464-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Although prior studies have identified several risk factors for gun carrying, no prior longitudinal studies have examined a comprehensive set of explanatory factors together in within-individual change models or examined whether the predictors of gun carrying change across adolescence and early young adulthood. The present study fills these gaps by examining the predictive utility of several risk factors for gun carrying, and by examining whether any of the associations vary by age. The sample included 1216 young men who were arrested for the first time during adolescence (approximately 15 years old) and interviewed regularly for 5 years (until approximately 20 years old) after the first arrest. The outcome was youth-self-reported gun carrying and the risk factors included several variables consistent with various explanations for gun carrying (psychosocial maturity deficits; antisocial behavioral style; socialization; victimization). Research questions were addressed with fixed effects dynamic panel models (within-individual change models). Results showed that the most robust predictors of gun carrying were increased exposure to guns and gun-related violence and increased engagement in other antisocial and illegal behavior. The results emphasize the specific etiology of gun carrying and the potential social contagion effect of gun-related events. Overall, the study points to the need for prevention and intervention programs to specifically target the reduction of the real and perceived prevalence of gun-related events in young men's lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Beardslee
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697-7085, USA.
| | - Emily Kan
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697-7085, USA
| | | | - Dustin Pardini
- School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA
| | - Monica Peniche
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697-7085, USA
| | - Paul J Frick
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA
- Institute for Learning Sciences & Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Laurence Steinberg
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
- King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elizabeth Cauffman
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697-7085, USA
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14
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Baiden P, Jahan N, Onyeaka HK, Thrasher S, Tadeo S, Findley E. Age at first alcohol use and weapon carrying among adolescents: Findings from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. SSM Popul Health 2021; 15:100820. [PMID: 34141851 PMCID: PMC8187826 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although studies have investigated the association between alcohol use and violent behaviors such as weapon carrying, few studies have examined the association between age at first alcohol use and weapon-carrying among adolescents. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between age at first alcohol use and weapon carrying among adolescents. METHODS Data for this study came from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. An analytic sample of 13,442 adolescents aged 14-18 years old (51% female) was analyzed using binary logistic regression. The outcome variable investigated in this study was weapon carrying during the past 30 days, and the main explanatory variable investigated was age at first alcohol use. RESULTS Of the 13,442 adolescents, 13.5% carried a weapon during the past 30 days, and 15.4% reported having their first alcoholic drink before age 13. In the multivariable logistic regression, adolescents who reported having alcohol before age 13 had more than double the odds of carrying a weapon when compared to those who never had alcohol before age 13 (AOR = 2.32, p < .001, 95% CI = 1.87-2.89). Other significant factors associated with weapon carrying include male gender, victim of bullying, teen dating violence, sexual violence, suicidal ideation, and history of substance use. Adolescents who self-identified as Black/African American or Hispanic were significantly less likely to carry a weapon when compared to adolescents who self-identified as non-Hispanic White. CONCLUSION The findings of this study underscore the importance of developing age appropriate intervention strategies to curb early initiation of alcohol use and weapon carrying among adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Baiden
- The University of Texas at Arlington, School of Social Work, 211 S. Cooper St., Box 19129, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Nusrat Jahan
- The University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Psychology, 501 Nedderman Dr., Box 19528, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Henry K. Onyeaka
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Shawndaya Thrasher
- University of Kentucky, College of Social Work, 619 Patterson Office Tower, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA
| | - Savarra Tadeo
- Florida State University, College of Social Work, 296 Champions Way, University Center, Building C-Suite 2500, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Erin Findley
- The University of Texas at Arlington, School of Social Work, 211 S. Cooper St., Box 19129, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
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15
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Dong B. Developmental Comorbidity of Substance Use and Handgun Carrying Among U.S. Youth. Am J Prev Med 2021; 61:209-216. [PMID: 33958238 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study identifies the longitudinal trajectories of multiple forms of substance use and handgun carrying and examines their comorbidity over time. METHODS In a cohort study of 6,748 youth from a U.S. nationally representative sample (51% male, 49% female; 69% White, 16% Black, 14% Hispanic, and 1% other race/ethnicity; born between 1980 and 1984), individuals self-reported their substance-use status (i.e., smoking, drinking, marijuana use, and hard drug use), handgun carrying, and other covariates between 1997 and 2013. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify distinct patterns of substance use and handgun carrying over time. Chi-square tests were used to determine the bivariate associations between substance-use and handgun-carrying trajectories, and a multinomial logistic regression examined the associations while adjusting for covariates. Analyses were conducted in 2020. RESULTS Trajectories of all the 4 forms of substance use were associated with handgun-carrying trajectories. Specifically, the risk of being in the declining trajectory of handgun carrying (compared with that of being in the very-low trajectory) was higher for participants who were in the decreasing trajectories of smoking, drinking, marijuana use, and hard drug use and lower for those who were in the increasing trajectory of drinking. Inversely, the risks of being in the low and high-increasing trajectories of handgun carrying (compared with that of being in the very-low trajectory) were higher for participants who were in the increasing trajectory of hard drug use. CONCLUSIONS Both substance use and gun carrying are developmentally heterogeneous phenomena. Varied forms of substance use should be targeted to counter the distinct gun carrying patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beidi Dong
- Department of Criminology, Law and Society, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia.
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16
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Vaughn MG, Salas-Wright CP, Alsolami AS, Oh S, Goings TC. Margin for error: examining racial and ethnic trends in adolescent risk propensity. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2021; 56:993-1002. [PMID: 33462735 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-021-02026-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Relatively little research has accrued examining risk propensity across racial and ethnic groups, especially across time and at the population level. AIMS Using a margin for error framework to conceptualize risk variation among major racial and ethnic groups, we hypothesize that African American and Hispanic adolescents will be less likely to report engaging in dangerous risk taking acts compared to White adolescents. METHODS This study examines public-use data collected on risk propensity and risky behaviors among adolescents 12-17 between 2002 and 2018 as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). RESULTS While we observed decreased trends in risk propensity, controlling for demographic factors, we see significantly greater odds of reporting "never" engaging in risk for fun among NH Black (AOR 2.01, 95% CI 1.85-2.18) and Hispanic youth (AOR 1.47, 95% CI 1.37-1.58) as compared to NH White youth. NH Black (AOR 0.74, 95% CI 0.61-0.89) and Hispanic (AOR 0.83, 95% CI 0.71-0.98) youth are also less likely than NH White youth to report "always" taking risks for fun. Moreover, the risk propensity-risky behaviors link was weaker among African American and Hispanic adolescents. CONCLUSIONS We find compelling evidence that African American and Hispanic adolescents are less likely to endorse deriving positive reinforcement from potentially dangerous risk taking acts compared to White adolescents. These findings suggest that African American and Hispanic youth may perceive less "margin for error" when navigating their environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Vaughn
- School of Social Work, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, 63103, USA. .,Department of Special Education, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | | | - Abdulaziz S Alsolami
- Department of Special Education, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Sehun Oh
- College of Social Work, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Trenette Clark Goings
- School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
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17
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Zhang S, Wu S, Wu Q, Durkin DW, Marsiglia FF. Adolescent drug use initiation and transition into other drugs: A retrospective longitudinal examination across race/ethnicity. Addict Behav 2021; 113:106679. [PMID: 33032193 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding adolescent drug use mechanisms is critical for drug use prevention. Although some theories such as the gateway theory suggest that drug users gradually transition into using more addictive drugs, there is no consensus about such a hypothesis. One important factor that hinders the advancement of knowledge in this area is the scarcity of longitudinal studies examining the type of drugs adolescents initially use and the different pathways adolescents take to transition into using other drugs as they grow older. METHODS Using the pooled sample of adolescent dug users (14-17 years old; n = 10,644) from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2015-2018), we constructed longitudinal data on adolescents' illicit drug use history other than the use of tobacco and alcohol based on the age of drug initiation. This allowed us to investigate what drugs were initially used by adolescents, how the use of these drugs may have progressed into a new drug, and whether there were racial/ethnic differences in the initiation and progression. The retrospective longitudinal data analyses applied life table method and Cox regression models. RESULTS Two thirds of the adolescent drug users initiated their drug use trajectories with marijuana, one quarter with inhalants, and the remaining with hallucinogens, prescription drugs, and hard drugs. Adolescent drug users who initiated with different drugs showed unique trajectories to the use of a new drug. By year 8, the probability of using a new drug was about 40% and 70% to 80% for adolescents who initiated with inhalants and other drugs, respectively. The probability of using a new drug for adolescents who initiated with marijuana and inhalants accumulated stably over time, and its difference with that of other drug users diminished over time. The multivariate Cox regression models suggest the observed discrepancies generally held after controlling for covariates. There were also racial/ethnic differences in adolescent drug use initiation and progression, with Black/African American adolescents being the least likely to switch to the use of a new drug. CONCLUSION Adolescents' initial use of marijuana and inhalants may lead to substantial risks of using other drugs over time. It is therefore important to screen adolescent drug use comprehensively and provide early interventions to prevent an escalation to more detrimental drugs. The findings provide new evidence to support aspects of both the gateway and generalized risk drug use theories.
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18
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Kelsay JD, Silver IA, Barnes JC. The Association Between Adolescent Gun Ownership and Gun Carrying and Adulthood Violence and Victimization. VIOLENCE AND VICTIMS 2021; 36:157-192. [PMID: 33443229 DOI: 10.1891/vv-d-19-00090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although many studies have highlighted the deleterious outcomes associated with access to firearms, others suggest gun ownership and carrying can have protective effects. This study attempts to adjudicate between these countervailing points and address several important gaps in the literature. To do so, data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were used to assess the long-term associations between gun ownership and gun carrying in late adolescence and violence and violent victimization in early adulthood. Results from propensity score matching analyses suggest gun carrying, but not gun ownership, is associated with a higher risk of experiencing a violent victimization (b = 0.080, 95% CI = .032, .127) and engaging in violence with a weapon (b = 0.885, 95% CI = .392, 1.378). Efforts to curb firearm-related violence should consider focusing on those who carry guns for additional counseling about these risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Kelsay
- Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas
| | - Ian A Silver
- Law and Justice Department, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey Corrections Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - J C Barnes
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
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19
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Thomas MD, Jewell NP, Allen AM. Black and unarmed: statistical interaction between age, perceived mental illness, and geographic region among males fatally shot by police using case-only design. Ann Epidemiol 2021; 53:42-49.e3. [PMID: 32835768 PMCID: PMC7736192 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2020.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We examine whether the race and armed status interact to modify the risk of being fatally shot by police within categories of civilian age and mental illness status, and U.S. region. METHODS Data are from The Washington Post online public-use database of all U.S. police-involved shooting deaths. The sample includes black and white males with known armed status who were killed from 1/1/2015 through 12/31/2019 (n = 3090). A case-only design is used to assess multiplicative interaction using adjusted logistic regression. RESULTS The fully adjusted interaction estimate is null (SOR = 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.55-1.04). However, adjusted estimates within strata show that the risk of being armed versus unarmed when fatally shot is smaller for black than white males older than 54 years (SOR = 0.18; 95% CI = 0.06-0.65), those showing mental illness signs (SOR = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.26-0.98), and those killed in the South (SOR = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.33-0.83), and that the risk is greater in the Midwest (SOR = 2.42; 95% CI = 1.11-5.26). Notably, there is no black-white difference in armed status among younger age groups (SOR≈0.89). CONCLUSION The race and armed status may interact leaving black males at a higher risk of being unarmed than white males when fatally shot by police among those older than 54 years, mentally impaired, and residing in the South. Causal interaction suggests a lower risk for unarmed blacks in the Midwest. Researchers should further explore the utility of the case-only design to study social-environmental interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn D Thomas
- Departments of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco.
| | - Nicholas P Jewell
- Berkeley Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley
| | - Amani M Allen
- Berkeley Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley
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20
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Comer BP, Connolly EJ. Correlates of school gun carrying among black, hispanic, and white male adolescents: Evidence from a nationally representative sample of youth. Prev Med 2020; 141:106277. [PMID: 33039452 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have found that individual, environmental, geographic, and demographic factors correlate with adolescent gun carrying. Comparatively less research has focused on identifying correlates of adolescent gun carrying to schools. The current study examined whether previously identified factors associated with adolescent gun carrying similarly predict adolescent school gun carrying. Logistic regression models were used to predict risk of school gun carrying among a nationally representative sample of adolescent males (n = 4559). Results revealed that a range of individual- and environmental-level factors increased the odds of school gun carrying, including a 13% increased likelihood of carrying a gun to school among individuals with more symptoms of anxiety and depression. Additionally, analyses indicated that several individual- and environmental-level factors differentially increase the likelihood of school gun carrying across race and ethnicity. Policies aimed at reducing gun carrying in schools should address both the known correlates of adolescent school gun carrying broadly and the specific correlates of gun carrying as they vary across particular groups of youth. Future research should attempt to replicate these and other studies findings across diverse samples of adolescents and identify other potential correlates of adolescent school gun carrying not previously addressed. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Mental health, school-level, and geographic factors are associated with school guncarrying differentially across race and ethnicity. Programming efforts may benefit fromconsidering the influence of race/ethnicity on dynamic risk factors for school guncarrying when designing and implementing school safety measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin P Comer
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77304, United States of America.
| | - Eric J Connolly
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77304, United States of America
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21
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Docherty M, Mulvey E, Beardslee J, Sweeten G, Pardini D. Drug Dealing and Gun Carrying go Hand in Hand: Examining How Juvenile Offenders' Gun Carrying Changes Before and After Drug Dealing Spells across 84 Months. JOURNAL OF QUANTITATIVE CRIMINOLOGY 2020; 36:993-1015. [PMID: 33814693 PMCID: PMC8011595 DOI: 10.1007/s10940-019-09442-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aims to examine whether periods of marijuana and other illicit drug dealing ("spells" of dealing) are associated with changes in young male offenders' gun carrying behavior. METHODS This paper uses 84 months of data from a sample of 479 serious juvenile male offenders who were assessed every six months for three years and then annually for four years. At each assessment, participants reported on engagement in illicit behaviors, including drug dealing and gun carrying, in each month since the prior interview. We used fixed effects models to assess within-individual changes in participants' gun carrying immediately before, during, and right after a dealing spell, while controlling for relevant time varying confounds (e.g., gang involvement, exposure to violence). Additionally, we tested moderation by type of drug sold. RESULTS There was a slight increase in gun carrying right before a drug dealing spell (OR = 1.3-1.4), then a more pronounced increase in gun carrying during the months of a drug dealing spell (OR = 8.0-12.8). Right after a dealing spell ends, youths' gun carrying dropped dramatically, but remained significantly elevated relative to their baseline levels (OR = 2.6-2.8). The association between drug dealing spells and increases in gun carrying was stronger when participants dealt hard drugs (e.g., cocaine, heroin) relative to marijuana. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that designing and implementing programs to prevent the initiation of drug dealing and decrease involvement in drug dealing may help to substantially reduce illegal gun carrying and firearm violence among delinquent males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meagan Docherty
- Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH
| | - Edward Mulvey
- Western Psychiatric Hospital, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Jordan Beardslee
- School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
| | - Gary Sweeten
- School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
| | - Dustin Pardini
- School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
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22
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Sweeten G, Fine AD. Dynamic Risk Factors for Handgun Carrying: Are There Developmental or Sex Differences? JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 50:311-325. [PMID: 32780590 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2020.1796679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Objective: This study examines the effects of dynamic risk factors on handgun carrying from adolescence into young adulthood.Method: A nationally representative sample of 8,679 individuals (ages 12-26; 51.1% male; 58% White, 26.8% African American; 21.2% Hispanic ethnicity) from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1997 cohort) interviewed at least three times across nine annual waves is used to estimate effects on handgun carrying. Key predictors include gang membership, selling and using drugs, violent crime, and arrest. Using mixed effects models, we focus on within-individual effects across three timeframes from ages 12 to 26: 1) predictors and handgun carrying measured concurrently, 2) predictors measured across one year and handgun carrying measured in the final month of the same year, and 3) predictors measured in the wave before handgun carrying. We also contrast estimates by sex and age.Results: All theoretically relevant predictors statistically significantly predict handgun carrying across the first two timeframes. However, none are statistically significant predictors of handgun carrying in the following year. Few significant sex and age differences emerge.Conclusions: Handgun carrying is an ephemeral behavior particularly during adolescence. The predictors of handgun carrying, which are grounded in gangs, drug use/sale, and crime involvement, appear to have short-term impacts that are consistent across age as well as across sex. Consequently, future work should focus on shorter-term changes in models and there is no evidence that intervention efforts must take fundamentally different approaches to reduce handgun use among males versus females or adolescents versus adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Sweeten
- School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University
| | - Adam D Fine
- School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University
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23
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Ganson KT, Nagata JM. Gender and Sexual Orientation Bullying Victimization are Associated with Gun Carrying Among Adolescent Boys. CHILD & ADOLESCENT SOCIAL WORK JOURNAL : C & A 2020; 38:631-640. [PMID: 32836723 PMCID: PMC7402073 DOI: 10.1007/s10560-020-00689-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Gun carrying and bullying victimization are associated among adolescent boys, however the type of the bullying remains relatively unknown. This study aimed to identify whether experiencing bullying victimization based on gender and sexual orientation is associated with carrying a gun to school among adolescent boys. A cross-sectional analysis among a representative sample of high school boys (n = 3672) from the 2015 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey was conducted. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained using logistic regression analyses while controlling for grade level, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, suicidal ideation, alcohol and marijuana use, and gun access. Among the sample, 3.3% reported carrying a gun to school at least one time in the previous 12-months, 9.5% reported experiencing gender-based bullying victimization, and 7% reported experiencing sexual orientation-based bullying victimization. Regression analyses indicated that adolescent boys who experienced gender-based bullying victimization (OR 3.40, 95% CI 1.64, 5.62, p < .001) or sexual orientation-based bullying victimization (OR 3.57, 95% CI 1.91, 6.67, p < .001) had greater odds of reporting they carried a gun to school while controlling for grade level, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, suicidal ideation, alcohol and marijuana use, and gun access. These results expand upon previous gun carrying and bullying research by identifying the specific type of the bullying experienced and have important implications for social workers and school personnel. Importantly, these results emphasize the need to address two of the Grand Challenges for Social Work: building healthy relationships to end violence and ensuring the healthy development for all youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle T. Ganson
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Jason M. Nagata
- Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
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24
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Oliphant SN, Mouch CA, Rowhani-Rahbar A, Hargarten S, Jay J, Hemenway D, Zimmerman M, Carter PM. A scoping review of patterns, motives, and risk and protective factors for adolescent firearm carriage. J Behav Med 2019; 42:763-810. [PMID: 31367939 PMCID: PMC7182091 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-019-00048-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Firearm carriage is a key risk factor for interpersonal firearm violence, a leading cause of adolescent (age < 18) mortality. However, the epidemiology of adolescent firearm carriage has not been well characterized. This scoping review examined four databases (PubMed; Scopus; EMBASE; Criminal Justice Abstracts) to summarize research on patterns, motives, and underlying risk/protective factors for adolescent firearm carriage. Of 6156 unique titles, 53 peer-reviewed articles met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. These studies mostly examined urban Black youth, finding that adolescents typically carry firearms intermittently throughout adolescence and primarily for self-defense/protection. Seven future research priorities were identified, including: (1) examining adolescent carriage across age, gender, and racial/ethnic subgroups; (2) improving on methodological limitations of prior research, including disaggregating firearm from other weapon carriage and using more rigorous methodology (e.g., random/systematic sampling; broader population samples); (3) conducting longitudinal analyses that establish temporal causality for patterns, motives, and risk/protective factors; (4) capitalizing on m-health to develop more nuanced characterizations of underlying motives; (5) increasing the study of precursors for first-time carriage; (6) examining risk and protective factors beyond the individual-level; and, (7) enhancing the theoretical foundation for firearm carriage within future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen N Oliphant
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan, 735 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Charles A Mouch
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ali Rowhani-Rahbar
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Health Sciences Bldg, F-262, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Harborview Injury Prevention and Research, Center University of Washington, 401 Broadway, 4th Floor, Seattle, WA, 98122, USA
| | - Stephen Hargarten
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Comprehensive Injury Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Jonathan Jay
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 3rd & 4th Floors, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - David Hemenway
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 3rd & 4th Floors, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Marc Zimmerman
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights 3790A SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Youth Violence Prevention Center, Univ. of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Univ. of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 2800 Plymouth Road, NCRC 10-G080, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Patrick M Carter
- Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights 3790A SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Youth Violence Prevention Center, Univ. of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Univ. of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 2800 Plymouth Road, NCRC 10-G080, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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25
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Baiden P, Tadeo SK, Graaf G, Respress BN. Examining the Association between Weapon Carrying on School Property and Suicide Attempt among Adolescents in the United States. SOCIAL WORK IN PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 34:570-582. [PMID: 31264533 DOI: 10.1080/19371918.2019.1635945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Suicidal behaviors among adolescents in the United States are the second leading cause of death and has been steadily increasing over the years. Although access to and possession of a weapon may facilitate the transition from suicidal ideation to a suicide attempt, few studies have examined the association between weapon carrying and suicide attempts among adolescents. The objective of this study was to examine the association between weapon carrying on school property and suicide attempt among adolescents. Data for this study came from the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. A sample of 14,547 adolescents aged 14-18 years old (50.5% female) was analyzed using logistic regression. Of the 14,547 adolescents, 4% carried a weapon on school property, and 7.7% attempted suicide during the past 12 months. In the multivariate logistic regression, adolescents who reported carrying a weapon on school property had more than double the odds of attempting suicide when compared to their counterparts who did not carry a weapon on school property. Other significant predictors of suicide attempt include sexual minority, history of forced sexual intercourse, school bullying and cyberbullying victimization, feeling sad or hopeless, and substance use. Examining the association between weapon carrying and suicide attempt among adolescents would contribute to early identification of adolescents who are likely to engage in suicidal behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Baiden
- School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Arlington , Arlington , TX , USA
| | - Savarra K Tadeo
- School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Arlington , Arlington , TX , USA
| | - Genevieve Graaf
- School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Arlington , Arlington , TX , USA
| | - Brandon N Respress
- College of Nursing and Health Innovation, The University of Texas at Arlington , Arlington , TX , USA
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Longitudinal Heterogeneity in Handgun-Carrying Behavior Among Urban American Youth: Intervention Priorities at Different Life Stages. J Adolesc Health 2019; 64:502-508. [PMID: 30455034 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine longitudinal patterns of handgun-carrying behavior among urban American youth and identify modifiable risk factors associated with distinct carrying patterns that should be targeted at different life stages. METHODS Using panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, we estimated longitudinal trajectories of handgun carrying among urban Americans, who carried a handgun at least once between 1997 and 2011 (N = 1,574). Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined risk factors associated with handgun-carrying trajectory groups during late adolescence (ages 16-20), emerging adulthood (ages 20-24), and young established adulthood (ages 24-28). RESULTS Group-based trajectory analyses identified four groups: Declining (35.0%, N = 560), bell-shaped (35.5%; N = 561), late-initiating (19.6%; N = 303), and high-persistent (9.9%; N = 150). During late adolescence, lower risks of mental health problems, hard drug use, police arrest, and presence of a gang in the neighborhood or school differentiated the late-initiating group from the other higher risk groups. During emerging and young established adulthood, higher risks of alcohol use, police arrest, and presence of a gang in the neighborhood or school were associated with trajectory groups with higher likelihood of handgun carrying than the declining group. CONCLUSIONS There are more than one profile of adolescents and young adults who carry handguns. Preventive interventions should have distinct priorities that address different patterns of handgun-carrying behavior at different life stages.
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Violence Related Behaviors and Weapon Carrying Among Hispanic Adolescents: Results from the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2001-2015. J Community Health 2019; 43:391-399. [PMID: 28965288 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-017-0436-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Hispanic youths are disproportionately represented in gangs in the United States, are more likely to drink alcohol at younger ages, and to live in poverty; all are risks for violence and weapon carrying. No studies to date have assessed violence related behaviors and weapon carrying in Hispanic youth over an extended period. This study utilized the national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys from 2001 to 2015 to assess trends in violence related behaviors and weapon carrying of Hispanic adolescents. Our analyses found both physical fighting and fighting on school property had statistically significant reductions from 2001 to 2015 for Hispanic females and their suicide attempts increased from 2009 to 2015. Hispanic males had statistically significant decreasing trends for: being in a physical fight in the past year, being bullied on school property, being in a physical fight on school property within the past year; threatened or injured with a weapon on school property in the past year; and having attempted suicide in the past year. Hispanic females and males had two groups of items highly predictive of weapon carrying behaviors: alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use and violent risk behaviors. Both female and male students who made mostly A's or B's in school were significantly less likely (about half as likely) to carry weapons. This data could be used to identify Hispanic adolescents at higher risk for weapon carrying and used as a basis for enriching programs to improve academic success of Hispanic adolescents.
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28
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DeLisi M. The big data potential of epidemiological studies for criminology and forensics. J Forensic Leg Med 2018; 57:24-27. [PMID: 29801947 DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Big data, the analysis of original datasets with large samples ranging from ∼30,000 to one million participants to mine unexplored data, has been under-utilized in criminology. However, there have been recent calls for greater synthesis between epidemiology and criminology and a small number of scholars have utilized epidemiological studies that were designed to measure alcohol and substance use to harvest behavioral and psychiatric measures that relate to the study of crime. These studies have been helpful in producing knowledge about the most serious, violent, and chronic offenders, but applications to more pathological forensic populations is lagging. Unfortunately, big data relating to crime and justice are restricted and limited to criminal justice purposes and not easily available to the research community. Thus, the study of criminal and forensic populations is limited in terms of data volume, velocity, and variety. Additional forays into epidemiology, increased use of available online judicial and correctional data, and unknown new frontiers are needed to bring criminology up to speed in the big data arena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt DeLisi
- Iowa State University, 203A East Hall, Ames, IA 50011-1070, United States.
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29
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Salas-Wright CP, Oh S, Goings TC, Vaughn MG. Trends in Perceived Access to Marijuana Among Adolescents in the United States: 2002-2015. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2018; 78:771-780. [PMID: 28930065 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2017.78.771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There is concern that changes in marijuana-related policy and public opinion may lead to increased access to marijuana among young people in the United States. However, little research has been conducted on changes in youth's perceptions of marijuana access, and studies have yet to systematically examine trends in perceived access across key sociodemographic and externalizing behavioral subgroups. METHOD Using population-based data collected between 2002 and 2015 as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, we examined trends in perceived marijuana access among non-Hispanic White, African American, and Hispanic adolescents (ages 12-17, n = 221,412). Following the trend analysis method outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we conducted logistic regression analyses to test for secular trends. RESULTS Between 2002 and 2015, we observed a 27% overall reduction in the relative proportion of adolescents ages 12-17-and a 42% reduction among those ages 12-14-reporting that it would be "very easy" to obtain marijuana. This pattern was uniformly observed among youth in all sociodemographic subgroups (i.e., across age, gender, race/ethnicity, household income) and among youth reporting involvement/no involvement in most measures of substance use (alcohol, marijuana) and delinquency (handgun carrying, attacks). However, perceived very easy access remained stable among youth reporting tobacco use and criminal justice system involvement. CONCLUSIONS Despite the legalization of recreational and medical marijuana in some states, our findings suggest that, with the notable exception of adolescent tobacco users and juvenile offenders, perceptions that marijuana would be very easy to obtain are on the decline among American youth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sehun Oh
- School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Trenette Clark Goings
- School of Social Work, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Michael G Vaughn
- School of Social Work, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri
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Salas-Wright CP, Nelson EJ, Vaughn MG, Reingle Gonzalez JM, Córdova D. Trends in Fighting and Violence Among Adolescents in the United States, 2002-2014. Am J Public Health 2017; 107:977-982. [PMID: 28426317 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2017.303743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine trends in and correlates of fighting and violence among youths from the 3 largest racial/ethnic groups in the United States. METHODS We derived race/ethnicity-specific prevalence estimates for fighting, group fighting, and attacks with intent to harm from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a population-based study of youths aged 12 to 17 years. RESULTS The prevalence of youth fighting and violence decreased significantly in all racial/ethnic groups over the study period (2002-2014), dropping from a high of 33.6% in 2003 to a low of 23.7% in 2014, reflecting a 29% decrease in the relative proportion of young people involved in these behaviors. However, there was also a clear severity gradient in which year-by-year point estimates for fighting and violence were consistently highest among non-Hispanic African American youths, followed by Hispanic and then non-Hispanic White youths. CONCLUSIONS Although fighting and violence are on the decline among young people in general and across racial/ethnic subgroups, there is a stable pattern of disparities in youth involvement in these behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher P Salas-Wright
- Christopher P. Salas-Wright is with the School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA. Erik J. Nelson is with the School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington. Michael G. Vaughn is with the School of Social Work, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO. Jennifer M. Reingle Gonzalez is with the School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas, Dallas Regional Campus. David Córdova is with the School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Erik J Nelson
- Christopher P. Salas-Wright is with the School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA. Erik J. Nelson is with the School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington. Michael G. Vaughn is with the School of Social Work, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO. Jennifer M. Reingle Gonzalez is with the School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas, Dallas Regional Campus. David Córdova is with the School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Michael G Vaughn
- Christopher P. Salas-Wright is with the School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA. Erik J. Nelson is with the School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington. Michael G. Vaughn is with the School of Social Work, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO. Jennifer M. Reingle Gonzalez is with the School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas, Dallas Regional Campus. David Córdova is with the School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Jennifer M Reingle Gonzalez
- Christopher P. Salas-Wright is with the School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA. Erik J. Nelson is with the School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington. Michael G. Vaughn is with the School of Social Work, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO. Jennifer M. Reingle Gonzalez is with the School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas, Dallas Regional Campus. David Córdova is with the School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - David Córdova
- Christopher P. Salas-Wright is with the School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA. Erik J. Nelson is with the School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington. Michael G. Vaughn is with the School of Social Work, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO. Jennifer M. Reingle Gonzalez is with the School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas, Dallas Regional Campus. David Córdova is with the School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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Salas-Wright CP, Vaughn MG, Cummings-Vaughn LA, Holzer KJ, Nelson EJ, AbiNader M, Oh S. Trends and correlates of marijuana use among late middle-aged and older adults in the United States, 2002-2014. Drug Alcohol Depend 2017; 171:97-106. [PMID: 28063338 PMCID: PMC5263052 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent trend studies suggest that marijuana use is on the rise among the general population of adults ages 18 and older in the United States. However, little is known about the trends in marijuana use and marijuana-specific risk/protective factors among American adults during the latter part of adulthood. METHOD Findings are based on repeated, cross-sectional data collected from late middle-aged (ages 50-64) and older adults (ages 65 and older) surveyed as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2002 and 2014. RESULTS The prevalence of past-year marijuana use among late middle-aged adults increased significantly from a low of 2.95% in 2003 to a high of 9.08% in 2014. Similarly, the prevalence of marijuana use increased significantly among older adults from a low of 0.15% in 2003 to a high of 2.04% in 2014. Notably, the upward trends in marijuana use remained significant even when accounting for sociodemographic, substance use, behavioral, and health-related factors. We also found that decreases in marijuana-specific protective factors were associated with the observed trend changes in marijuana use among late middle-aged and older adults, and observed a weakening of the association between late-middle aged marijuana use and risk propensity, other illicit drug use, and criminal justice system involvement over the course of the study. CONCLUSIONS Findings from the present study provide robust evidence indicating that marijuana use among older Americans has increased markedly in recent years, with the most evident changes observed between 2008 and 2014.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael G. Vaughn
- School of Social Work, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | | | - Katherine J. Holzer
- School of Social Work, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Erik J. Nelson
- School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Millan AbiNader
- School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sehun Oh
- School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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