Criminal Justice, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Inj Prev. 2024 Nov 21;30(6):454-461. doi: 10.1136/ip-2023-045096.
To understand how crime and victimisation fears and risks operate alongside social status threats and motivations to shape unsafe in-home firearm storage practices and beliefs.
Using data from firearm owners identified in a nationwide sample surveyed in 2023, this study examined how in-home loaded firearm accessibility, firearm storage practice and firearm safety beliefs are associated with: fear of crime and victimisation; perceived and personal victimisation; racial resentment; cultural and status threats; and masculinity threats. Regression models also accounted for the role of gender, race, marital status, political affiliation, geographic region and protective motivation for firearm ownership.
Over 40% of firearm owners reported having a loaded firearm 'always accessible' at home, and almost half think homes with firearms are safer than those without. About one-third of owners reported storing firearms locked but still loaded. Crime and victimisation fears and threats were unrelated to firearm storage behaviours and beliefs; however, firearm owners who experience higher levels of sociocultural anxiety are more likely to always have a loaded firearm accessible at home, store firearms locked and loaded, and believe that firearms make homes safer.
Identifying the barriers to safer storage beliefs and behaviours is essential for refining and enhancing effective firearm injury prevention strategies. Sociocultural anxieties may not reflect concrete threats to physical safety, but they can be experienced as feelings of insecurity, instability and distress that-for some Americans-may be managed by knowing they have a (loaded) firearm within reach.
了解犯罪和受害恐惧以及风险如何与社会地位威胁和动机一起作用，从而影响不安全的家庭枪支存储行为和观念。
本研究利用 2023 年全国抽样调查中确定的枪支拥有者的数据，研究家庭中装有弹药的枪支的易获取性、枪支存储方式和枪支安全观念与以下因素的关联：犯罪和受害恐惧；感知和个人受害；种族怨恨；文化和地位威胁；以及男子气概威胁。回归模型还考虑了性别、种族、婚姻状况、政治派别、地理位置和拥有枪支的保护动机的作用。
超过 40%的枪支拥有者报告称，家中有一把装有弹药的枪支“随时可用”，近一半的人认为有枪支的家庭比没有枪支的家庭更安全。约三分之一的枪支拥有者报告说将枪支上锁但仍装有弹药。犯罪和受害恐惧与威胁与枪支存储行为和观念无关；然而，社会文化焦虑程度较高的枪支拥有者更有可能随时在家中存放一把装有弹药的可随时获取的枪支，将枪支上锁并装弹，并且认为枪支使家庭更安全。
确定更安全的存储观念和行为的障碍对于改进和加强有效的枪支伤害预防策略至关重要。社会文化焦虑可能并不反映对身体安全的具体威胁，但对于一些美国人来说，它们可能被视为不安全、不稳定和痛苦的感觉，而他们可以通过知道自己身边有（装弹的）枪支来应对这些感觉。
