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Personal gun ownership is common in the US. While gun owners give a wide range of reasons for their gun ownership, by far the most common is protection. The problem we will be talking about in this article is juvenile gun possession which oftentimes is also caused by the perceived notion of teenagers that they need firearms for protection.
Youth gun violence in the US has been on the rise over the years. Most place the blame on adult gun owners who do not properly store their firearms. The results of a 2015 survey published in the Journal of Urban Health and entitled “Storage in Gun-Owning Households with Children” revealed that there are approximately 4.6 million minors in the US who live in homes with at least one loaded, unlocked firearm.
In this article we’ll explore this often secret world of gun carriers, explore the intricacies of juvenile concealed carry, and take a look at what the government is doing about the issue. If you have children at home, this article is for you.
JUVENILE GUN POSSESSION AT A GLANCE
US federal law bars persons below the age of 18 from purchasing or possessing handguns. Laws also set the minimum age for purchasing a handgun at 21 if the seller is a licensed firearm dealer, although the age is only 18 if the deal is with a private seller. But despite these laws, minors in the US seem to be able to get their hands on and carry firearms.
Adult gun owners have a responsibility to be careful with their firearms. Guns should always be safely stored, locked, and out of the reach of children. Unlocked firearms are a recipe for disaster. Not only could they be taken by children, but by thieves or other unwanted persons. Children with guns are at risk of hurting themselves or others, or being hurt by law enforcement officers or other gun carriers. In 2016 3128 young people died from gun violence, an average of 1 every 2 hours and 48 minutes.
The misuse of handguns is a major contributing factor to juvenile violence. Adults play the most important role in the fight to prevent firearms from falling into teenage hands. Safe storage of firearms is a must. If you are not ready to safely store your firearm, you shouldn’t own one.
Safe Storage of Guns at Home
According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Health, more than half of US gun owners store at least one firearm without a lock or other measure to prevent its theft or use by unauthorized persons. Only 46% of respondents said they kept their weapons locked in a gun safe, case or cabinet, or used a trigger lock.
These findings suggest that at least 5.5 million households have at least one firearm that could be stolen by a thief, borrowed by a homicidal member of the family, or played with by a curious child. The sad fact is that approximately 1 in 3 handguns are kept loaded and unlocked and most children know where their parents keep their guns. According to research, more than 75 percent of first and second graders know where their parents keep their firearms and 36 percent admitted handling the weapons.
According to the US General Accounting Office, 31 percent of accidental deaths due to firearms could have been prevented with the addition of child-proof safety locks and loading indicators.
REASONS FOR JUVENILE GUN OWNERSHIP
Several reasons seem to result in juveniles carrying firearms. While juveniles are likely to be aware of the dangers and consequences of handling firearms, the problem still persists. We’ve listed some of the major influences below:
Victimization and Protection
Juveniles are often motivated to carry weapons due to threats and victimization. Bullying and crimes in neighborhoods and at schools are common and they increase many adolescents’ desire for self-protection, which sometimes leads to the acquisition of firearms. Juveniles tend to cite protection as their number one reason for carrying firearms, much like the population at large.
Peers/Gangs
Research revealed that peers can be a major influence on juvenile gun possession. Delinquent peers are a possible source for obtaining guns and youths may acquire pro-gun beliefs and attitudes from these same peers. Research also shows that youths who are gang members are more likely to own and carry guns than non-gang members.
Family and School
Studies find that high-risk family gun ownership increased high-risk adolescent gun ownership. Guns in the home increased adolescent recreational gun use and rates of possession.
Demographic Variables
A great deal of research has explored demographic predictors of juvenile gun involvement without identifying clear relationship patterns. Research has consistently shown that boys are more likely to own or carry guns than girls. What these studies do find about female gun ownership is that it seems to be highly associated with self-protection, drug crime, and gang affiliation.
Race, ethnicity, socio-economic indicators, residence, and age inconsistently predict juvenile gun possession. While some studies find a correlation, others dispute that the age of a juvenile has a serious impact on whether or not they possess a firearm.
DETERRING JUVENILE GUN CRIMES
It’s not easy to prove the effects of gun laws as deterrents to gun crimes. Harsher sentences, studies find, seem to have resulted in a substantial reduction in firearm homicide but not firearm related assaults or robberies. While earlier studies found no correlation between firearm related homicide and gun laws, newer studies seem to show a significant correlation. It seems we will still need more research in order to reach any certain conclusions.
In order to address the growing problem of youth violence, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention or OJJDP implemented the Partnerships To Reduce Juvenile Gun Violence Program. This program was developed to strengthen connections between community grassroots organizations, law enforcement, social service providers, and the juvenile justice system. The program hopes that through its work agencies and organizations will become more effective in developing and implementing comprehensive strategies for reducing youth gun violence.
EFFECTS OF LOWERING MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENTS
The goal of many of today’s youth gun laws is to make it harder for youths to get their hands on firearms. Most of the restrictions focus on handguns. Rifles and shotguns, however, are not uncommonly possessed by minors although their purpose is supposedly for hunting. Adults who give minors guns can be held accountable for incidents that result from the minor using the weapon. These laws are designed to curb gun violence or accidents by keeping minors away from firearms.
Under federal law, licensed dealers cannot sell or deliver handguns to individuals below 21 years old or long guns to those who are below 18 years old. Unlicensed individuals cannot sell, transfer, or deliver handguns to individuals less than 18 years old. Federal law also makes it illegal for people below 18 years of age to possess a handgun. This restriction doesn’t apply to long guns.
As noted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, in 2012 arrest rates for violent crimes peaked at age 18. Firearm homicides and violent crimes disproportionately involve individuals under age 21, both as perpetrators and as victims. Looking at other years, further studies show that of the 8,545 firearm homicides committed in 2016 for which the age of the offender was known, 46.8 percent were perpetrated by individuals aged 12–24, although this group represents only 17.7 percent of the general U.S. population. Many hope that limiting the ability of juveniles to obtain firearms will lead to a reduction in violence.
HOW TO KEEP GUNS AWAY FROM KIDS
As the number of firearm related youth crimes continues to rise many responsible gun owners are calling for programs to help put an end to youth violence. One of the major pieces of legislation in gun control history, the Brady Bill, still plays a major part in how firearm sales are regulated. The original bill imposed a five-day waiting period on purchases and made background checks necessary for purchases. Certain parts of the law have changed and the 5-day waiting period is no longer necessary, but the Brady Bill still has an effect on gun purchases today.
Closing the Market
A recent survey by university researchers Joseph Sheley and James Wright involving high school students in four troubled minority communities revealed that more than a ⅓ of the participants were occasional gun users. In the survey, it was discovered that obtaining guns was relatively simple and easy and that guns on the street seemed to be cheaper than those sold retail.
The survey concluded that increasing penalties for violating gun laws won’t help to prevent youths from obtaining guns. Many believe that none of these laws will have any effect until police, prosecutors, courts, and communities unite and tackle the issue together.
A better way to stop kids from acquiring and possessing guns might be to target the black market. Federal gun laws only affect new weapons sold by federally licensed dealers. They have no effect on older guns or crooked small-scale dealers. While there have been many proposals for legislation in Congress, they all seem to die on the floor. What’s certain is that there is a problem. What we can’t seem to agree on is how to tackle it.
Market Disruption
There is still hope, however. Police believe that new market disruption techniques may be starting to pay off. While the past decade has seen several cities beset by serious street drug problems, there is reportedly some evidence that new solutions are having some positive effects.
In Tampa, Florida for example, a police force known as QUAD or Quick Uniform Attack on Drugs launched operations to combat a widespread crack problem. They are trying to make it difficult for buyers to find dealers through intensified enforcement that keeps dealers on the move. They use community allies to locate and report new street dealing sites and drug stashes.
Police officers interrupt business by loitering around dealing sites. They use local ordinances to clear crowds from known trafficking areas and work with local authorities to knock down abandoned houses and shut down businesses used as fronts.
Some support the development of a similar disruption strategy for the youth gun market. While it’s difficult to judge from afar whether or not an adult sale of firearms is illegal, youths are completely prohibited from purchasing their own firearms. Such a deal is always a crime, much like with drug purchases.
The public perception of illegal firearms transactions is not always negative. Many gun advocates would like to loosen current laws. But that’s not the case with minors and firearms. Selling guns to minors is universally condemned. Pretty much nobody thinks kids should have guns. If communities can come together and find in trust the police force and courts, it is possible that youth gun ownership could be severely curbed.
HOW TO REDUCE JUVENILE GUN POSSESSION
In partnership with communities, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Program (OJJDP) has come up with seven strategies to reduce and hopefully eventually eradicate juvenile gun possession:
Firearm Suppression
This strategy aims to reduce youth access to illegal guns as well as illegal gun trafficking by developing special law enforcement units that would use community allies to report illegal gun trafficking. This strategy would target gang members, prosecute those who possess illegal guns, and impose sanctions on gun violence involvement.
Juvenile justice
This strategy applies appropriate alternative sanctions and interventions to respond to the needs of juvenile gun offenders because, sadly, jail time often leads to more crime instead of rehabilitation.
Communication
A communication strategy will spur cooperation between law enforcement officers and their communities. It will initiate community supervision to educate at-risk and court-involved youth on the legal consequences of gun violence.
Positive Opportunities
This strategy will provide the youth with beneficial programs such as academic tutoring, mentoring, job training and placement, and after school activities. Social programs are known to divert children from the school-to-prison pipeline.
Education
This strategy aims to teach at-risk youth how to resolve conflicts. It also focuses on how to resist peer pressure to carry or possess guns.
Public Information
This strategy is designed to encourage broadcast and print media to communicate the dangers and consequences of gun violence to juveniles, families, and residents.
Community Mobilization
This strategy encourages neighborhood residents and youths to take charge of and improve their communities. If the community is able to obtain the resources to solve problems internally, the police won’t have to be involved.
The children are our future. But the sad truth is that gun violence has put many young lives at risk. It’s important that we tackle this issue now so that we can live to know a brighter future. Putting an end to juvenile gun possession won’t be easy, and it’ll take the effort of entire communities, but we know that we will do anything for our children, so we know that it is possible.
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Juvenile Gun Possession: Everything You Need to Know
BUY NOW
Personal gun ownership is common in the US. While gun owners give a wide range of reasons for their gun ownership, by far the most common is protection. The problem we will be talking about in this article is juvenile gun possession which oftentimes is also caused by the perceived notion of teenagers that they need firearms for protection.
Youth gun violence in the US has been on the rise over the years. Most place the blame on adult gun owners who do not properly store their firearms. The results of a 2015 survey published in the Journal of Urban Health and entitled “Storage in Gun-Owning Households with Children” revealed that there are approximately 4.6 million minors in the US who live in homes with at least one loaded, unlocked firearm.
In this article we’ll explore this often secret world of gun carriers, explore the intricacies of juvenile concealed carry, and take a look at what the government is doing about the issue. If you have children at home, this article is for you.
JUVENILE GUN POSSESSION AT A GLANCE
US federal law bars persons below the age of 18 from purchasing or possessing handguns. Laws also set the minimum age for purchasing a handgun at 21 if the seller is a licensed firearm dealer, although the age is only 18 if the deal is with a private seller. But despite these laws, minors in the US seem to be able to get their hands on and carry firearms.
Adult gun owners have a responsibility to be careful with their firearms. Guns should always be safely stored, locked, and out of the reach of children. Unlocked firearms are a recipe for disaster. Not only could they be taken by children, but by thieves or other unwanted persons. Children with guns are at risk of hurting themselves or others, or being hurt by law enforcement officers or other gun carriers. In 2016 3128 young people died from gun violence, an average of 1 every 2 hours and 48 minutes.
The misuse of handguns is a major contributing factor to juvenile violence. Adults play the most important role in the fight to prevent firearms from falling into teenage hands. Safe storage of firearms is a must. If you are not ready to safely store your firearm, you shouldn’t own one.
Safe Storage of Guns at Home
According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Health, more than half of US gun owners store at least one firearm without a lock or other measure to prevent its theft or use by unauthorized persons. Only 46% of respondents said they kept their weapons locked in a gun safe, case or cabinet, or used a trigger lock.
These findings suggest that at least 5.5 million households have at least one firearm that could be stolen by a thief, borrowed by a homicidal member of the family, or played with by a curious child. The sad fact is that approximately 1 in 3 handguns are kept loaded and unlocked and most children know where their parents keep their guns. According to research, more than 75 percent of first and second graders know where their parents keep their firearms and 36 percent admitted handling the weapons.
According to the US General Accounting Office, 31 percent of accidental deaths due to firearms could have been prevented with the addition of child-proof safety locks and loading indicators.
REASONS FOR JUVENILE GUN OWNERSHIP
Several reasons seem to result in juveniles carrying firearms. While juveniles are likely to be aware of the dangers and consequences of handling firearms, the problem still persists. We’ve listed some of the major influences below:
Victimization and Protection
Juveniles are often motivated to carry weapons due to threats and victimization. Bullying and crimes in neighborhoods and at schools are common and they increase many adolescents’ desire for self-protection, which sometimes leads to the acquisition of firearms. Juveniles tend to cite protection as their number one reason for carrying firearms, much like the population at large.
Peers/Gangs
Research revealed that peers can be a major influence on juvenile gun possession. Delinquent peers are a possible source for obtaining guns and youths may acquire pro-gun beliefs and attitudes from these same peers. Research also shows that youths who are gang members are more likely to own and carry guns than non-gang members.
Family and School
Studies find that high-risk family gun ownership increased high-risk adolescent gun ownership. Guns in the home increased adolescent recreational gun use and rates of possession.
Demographic Variables
A great deal of research has explored demographic predictors of juvenile gun involvement without identifying clear relationship patterns. Research has consistently shown that boys are more likely to own or carry guns than girls. What these studies do find about female gun ownership is that it seems to be highly associated with self-protection, drug crime, and gang affiliation.
Race, ethnicity, socio-economic indicators, residence, and age inconsistently predict juvenile gun possession. While some studies find a correlation, others dispute that the age of a juvenile has a serious impact on whether or not they possess a firearm.
DETERRING JUVENILE GUN CRIMES
It’s not easy to prove the effects of gun laws as deterrents to gun crimes. Harsher sentences, studies find, seem to have resulted in a substantial reduction in firearm homicide but not firearm related assaults or robberies. While earlier studies found no correlation between firearm related homicide and gun laws, newer studies seem to show a significant correlation. It seems we will still need more research in order to reach any certain conclusions.
In order to address the growing problem of youth violence, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention or OJJDP implemented the Partnerships To Reduce Juvenile Gun Violence Program. This program was developed to strengthen connections between community grassroots organizations, law enforcement, social service providers, and the juvenile justice system. The program hopes that through its work agencies and organizations will become more effective in developing and implementing comprehensive strategies for reducing youth gun violence.
EFFECTS OF LOWERING MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENTS
The goal of many of today’s youth gun laws is to make it harder for youths to get their hands on firearms. Most of the restrictions focus on handguns. Rifles and shotguns, however, are not uncommonly possessed by minors although their purpose is supposedly for hunting. Adults who give minors guns can be held accountable for incidents that result from the minor using the weapon. These laws are designed to curb gun violence or accidents by keeping minors away from firearms.
Under federal law, licensed dealers cannot sell or deliver handguns to individuals below 21 years old or long guns to those who are below 18 years old. Unlicensed individuals cannot sell, transfer, or deliver handguns to individuals less than 18 years old. Federal law also makes it illegal for people below 18 years of age to possess a handgun. This restriction doesn’t apply to long guns.
As noted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, in 2012 arrest rates for violent crimes peaked at age 18. Firearm homicides and violent crimes disproportionately involve individuals under age 21, both as perpetrators and as victims. Looking at other years, further studies show that of the 8,545 firearm homicides committed in 2016 for which the age of the offender was known, 46.8 percent were perpetrated by individuals aged 12–24, although this group represents only 17.7 percent of the general U.S. population. Many hope that limiting the ability of juveniles to obtain firearms will lead to a reduction in violence.
HOW TO KEEP GUNS AWAY FROM KIDS
As the number of firearm related youth crimes continues to rise many responsible gun owners are calling for programs to help put an end to youth violence. One of the major pieces of legislation in gun control history, the Brady Bill, still plays a major part in how firearm sales are regulated. The original bill imposed a five-day waiting period on purchases and made background checks necessary for purchases. Certain parts of the law have changed and the 5-day waiting period is no longer necessary, but the Brady Bill still has an effect on gun purchases today.
Closing the Market
A recent survey by university researchers Joseph Sheley and James Wright involving high school students in four troubled minority communities revealed that more than a ⅓ of the participants were occasional gun users. In the survey, it was discovered that obtaining guns was relatively simple and easy and that guns on the street seemed to be cheaper than those sold retail.
The survey concluded that increasing penalties for violating gun laws won’t help to prevent youths from obtaining guns. Many believe that none of these laws will have any effect until police, prosecutors, courts, and communities unite and tackle the issue together.
A better way to stop kids from acquiring and possessing guns might be to target the black market. Federal gun laws only affect new weapons sold by federally licensed dealers. They have no effect on older guns or crooked small-scale dealers. While there have been many proposals for legislation in Congress, they all seem to die on the floor. What’s certain is that there is a problem. What we can’t seem to agree on is how to tackle it.
Market Disruption
There is still hope, however. Police believe that new market disruption techniques may be starting to pay off. While the past decade has seen several cities beset by serious street drug problems, there is reportedly some evidence that new solutions are having some positive effects.
In Tampa, Florida for example, a police force known as QUAD or Quick Uniform Attack on Drugs launched operations to combat a widespread crack problem. They are trying to make it difficult for buyers to find dealers through intensified enforcement that keeps dealers on the move. They use community allies to locate and report new street dealing sites and drug stashes.
Police officers interrupt business by loitering around dealing sites. They use local ordinances to clear crowds from known trafficking areas and work with local authorities to knock down abandoned houses and shut down businesses used as fronts.
Some support the development of a similar disruption strategy for the youth gun market. While it’s difficult to judge from afar whether or not an adult sale of firearms is illegal, youths are completely prohibited from purchasing their own firearms. Such a deal is always a crime, much like with drug purchases.
The public perception of illegal firearms transactions is not always negative. Many gun advocates would like to loosen current laws. But that’s not the case with minors and firearms. Selling guns to minors is universally condemned. Pretty much nobody thinks kids should have guns. If communities can come together and find in trust the police force and courts, it is possible that youth gun ownership could be severely curbed.
HOW TO REDUCE JUVENILE GUN POSSESSION
In partnership with communities, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Program (OJJDP) has come up with seven strategies to reduce and hopefully eventually eradicate juvenile gun possession:
Firearm Suppression
This strategy aims to reduce youth access to illegal guns as well as illegal gun trafficking by developing special law enforcement units that would use community allies to report illegal gun trafficking. This strategy would target gang members, prosecute those who possess illegal guns, and impose sanctions on gun violence involvement.
Juvenile justice
This strategy applies appropriate alternative sanctions and interventions to respond to the needs of juvenile gun offenders because, sadly, jail time often leads to more crime instead of rehabilitation.
Communication
A communication strategy will spur cooperation between law enforcement officers and their communities. It will initiate community supervision to educate at-risk and court-involved youth on the legal consequences of gun violence.
Positive Opportunities
This strategy will provide the youth with beneficial programs such as academic tutoring, mentoring, job training and placement, and after school activities. Social programs are known to divert children from the school-to-prison pipeline.
Education
This strategy aims to teach at-risk youth how to resolve conflicts. It also focuses on how to resist peer pressure to carry or possess guns.
Public Information
This strategy is designed to encourage broadcast and print media to communicate the dangers and consequences of gun violence to juveniles, families, and residents.
Community Mobilization
This strategy encourages neighborhood residents and youths to take charge of and improve their communities. If the community is able to obtain the resources to solve problems internally, the police won’t have to be involved.
The children are our future. But the sad truth is that gun violence has put many young lives at risk. It’s important that we tackle this issue now so that we can live to know a brighter future. Putting an end to juvenile gun possession won’t be easy, and it’ll take the effort of entire communities, but we know that we will do anything for our children, so we know that it is possible.