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Harvard Injury Control Research Center

Gun Possession, Storage and Use


Guns on college campuses
Using data from mailed surveys of over 10,000 undergraduates in 2001, we examined the prevalence of surveys.  We provided the information on the number of students who bring guns to college, and the risk factors for gun college gun possession.
Major Findings:  Approximately 3.5% of undergraduates reported having a working firearm at college.  Students with guns were more likely to be male, white, live in a fraternity, live off campus, binge drink, drive after drinking, and be injured severely enough to require medical attention.  Students with guns at college are more likely to engage in alcohol-related behaviors that put themselves and others at risk of injury. Guns on college campuses were more common in regions with higher levels of gun prevalence, and that gun threats to college students were also more common in these regions.
Publication:     Miller, Matthew; Hemenway, David; Wechsler, Henry.  "Guns and Gun Threats at College."  Journal of American College Health. 2002; 51:57-65.


Unsupervised firearm handling by adolescents
We analyzed data from a telephone survey of over 5,800 California adolescents conducted in 2000-01.
Major findings:  One-third of adolescents reported handling a firearm, 5% without adult supervision or knowledge.  Smoking, drinking and parents not knowing the child's whereabouts in the afternoon were associated with unsupervised gun handling.  These events usually occur away from home, with friends.  Half involve shooting the gun.
Publication: Miller, Matthew; Hemenway, David. "Unsupervised Firearm Handling by California Adolescents." Injury Prevention. 2004; 10:163


Batterers gun possession.
We analyzed survey data of over 4,500 men in Massachusetts batterers intervention programs.
Major findings: Risk factors for having a gun included having gambling problems, having attempted murder, and having threatened a partner with a firearm.
Publication:  Rothman, Emily F.; Johnson. Renee M.; Hemenway, David.  "Gun Possession among a Sample of Massachusetts Batterer Program Enrollees."  Evaluation Review. 2006; 30:283-95. 


Gun storage and children 
Some 400 parents with firearms in the home responded to questions about firearms storage.
Major findings:  Over 20% of parents had a loaded firearm and 8% stored at least one firearm loaded and unlocked.  Households with teenagers were somewhat more likely to store firearms unsafely.
Publication: Johnson, Renee M; Miller, Matthew; Vriniotis, Mary; Azrael, Deborah; Hemenway, David.  "Are Household Firearms Stored Less Safely in Homes with Adolescents?: Analysis of a National Random Sample of Parents."  Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 2006; 160:788-92.