Gun Violence Research Paper

Despite the surge in numeral count of children and youth killed from gun related violence, research indicates that most Americans still remain adamant to any further restrictions on guns and firearms ownership and usage. It is even more surprising to learn that a large percentage of people tend to believe that communities are safer where individuals are free to purchase and use weapons to defend themselves from actual or potential threats or threatening situations. It is a common knowledge within the criminal justice as well as the political realm that gun violence is a very complex and multi-facet issue. As a result, America requires practical and strong laws aimed at protecting innocent lives as well as the lives of the law enforcement

According to Cook and Ludwig (1997), approximately half of American households today own guns as compared to just 35% in 1994. This figure can be said to be equivalent to having a gun for each adult in the US. Despite this fact, only a small portion of the adults own the firearms. A lot of times the firearm owners have multiple guns at a time out of which there are collections of various kinds of guns. As a result of the readily available guns, countless children and youth are exposed to gun violence at home, at school, in their communities, or through the

Research shows that the psychological effects of exposure to gun violence on children and youth include anger, withdrawal, posttraumatic stress disorder, and desensitization to violence (Garbarino et. al, 2002). For instance, research shows that in neighborhood where gun violence was rampant, even those youth who are not directly victimized when exposed violence, suffer from the fear of being shot that pervades their communities. The effect can be seen also in the medical costs that are incurred in the treatment of gun related wounds and injuries as well as the legal costs and time in cases where court cases and incarceration are