GUN CONTROL

Research Control on Gun Control under the Public Policy of Criminal Justice



Research Control on Gun Control under the Public Policy of Criminal Justice

Introduction

Gun violence has become an epidemic in the United States and concerns about reducing gun violence have created a number of policy choices at the state and federal level. Federal authorities have encouraged local governments to create programs such as Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) and Project Exile, which focus on reducing gun violence in many U.S. cities (Egendorf, 2005). However, these programs are only a portion of the gun control initiative. Gun control policy is also related to the social and historical foundations of the problem, political ideologies, and gun control legislation.

Egendorf (2005) mentions the debate on gun control laws and policies in the United States demonstrates a struggle that has been ongoing in both politics and policy process for decades. Gun control and regulations of gun ownership have played a significant role in gaining public support during elections. Debate on gun control policies has become a highly salient issue, especially at times when gun violence has appeared in schools or other public places. Social science research on gun control can be divided into three main categories that present the scientific and political debate on the issue.

History, Culture and Gun Control

The first group of research studies focuses on gun control from a historical viewpoint and mainly explains the role of guns in American society throughout history. This type of research also considers gun ownership as a cultural phenomenon and claims that gun ownership is at the center of traditional American life. Discussions on the role of guns in American traditional life are also connected to the origins of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to bear arms (Correa, 2001). Advocates of gun ownership claim that the Constitution gives citizens of the United States the right to own a gun and that the right is protected. On the other hand, advocates of gun control arguments highlight the relationship between gun ownership and gun violence and claim that it is not against the spirit of the Constitution to make guns unreachable to criminals. Advocates of gun control also argue that the Constitution is a “living and changing” document; that is, any part of it can be discarded at will, and that rights are never absolute. They argue that at the time the Constitution was drafted citizens were arms of the government, so they needed weapons to protect their government. Gun control advocates argue that the states, the federal government, and the people have all changed over time (Correa, 2001).

Another argument centers on the differences in beliefs about gun control among cultures and demographic regions. Gary Kleck's study of the cultural foundations of gun control indicates that gun control support is more a product of culture conflict than response to crime. The findings of his study suggest that high crime rates and prior victimization do not increase support for gun control among the general ...