Citation

Price JH, Khubchandani J. Violence Gend. 2022; 9(2): 63-72.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/vio.2021.0046

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The impression that college campuses are becoming more dangerous places where firearm violence is common (moral panic) is simply untrue. The result of this erroneous impression is that a contentious debate regarding whether concealed carry of firearms on college campuses makes campuses safer has been occurring on both college campuses and in state legislatures. Frequently, in such debates and policymaking, key stakeholder perceptions are not accounted for by legislators. In this article, we review the perceptions of key college stakeholders (students, faculty, administrators, staff, campus police, parents, mental health counselors, and state legislators) regarding their perceptions of campus safety and their level of support or opposition for concealed carry on college campuses. Also, we assessed the characteristics of those who supported campus carry laws and those who were opposed to such laws. Finally, we explore the effectiveness of campus carry laws. Overwhelmingly, key college stakeholders do not support concealed firearm carrying on college campuses. Those who are white, male, and conservative are more likely to support campus carry laws. Also, there is no evidence-based research to show that concealed carry campuses have less firearm violence when compared to campuses that do not have concealed carry permissions. To date, research has not found evidence that concealed carry makes campuses safer. Additional research is essential to determine the impact of concealed carry on college campuses.

Language: en

Keywords

campus; college; firearms; injury; university; violence