Citation

Lester D. Br. J. Criminol. 1991; 31(2): 186-188.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, Publisher Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/oxfordjournals.bjc.a048097

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A study of European nations indicated that, where firearm availability, as measured by the percentage of suicides using firearms and by the firearm accidental death rate, was greater, then the firearm homicide rate was higher. The lack of an association between firearm availability and the homicide rate by all other methods suggests that displacement does not take place. The results are viewed as supporting the situational hypothesis of criminal behaviour.