The study, by a researcher at American University (AU), appears in Justice Quarterly, a publication of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.
” Gun violence stays at the forefront of the public policy dispute when it concerns enacting new or reinforcing existing gun legislation in the United States,” discusses Janice Iwama, assistant teacher of justice, law, and criminology at AU, who conducted the research study. “Yet the political polarization and fairly restricted scholarly research on weapons and gun violence make it hard for policymakers and practitioners to enact and execute legislation that attends to the public health and wellness concerns connected with gun violence.”
In 2014, Massachusetts passed new requirements connected to background look for firearms offered at gun shows or through personal sales and developed modifications to firearm regulations by adopting new gun licensing treatments; the brand-new law entered into impact in January 2015. Research on the impacts of weapon legislation has actually yielded mixed findings and the efficiency of Massachusetts law is unclear.
Iwama checked out the differential effects of the brand-new legislation on public safety results, consisting of violent criminal activity, in Massachusetts counties from 2006 to 2016. She used data from the Firearms Records Bureau, a statewide firm that maintains a database of provided licenses and records of guns sales by weapon dealerships, as well as private transfers of weapons.
The research study used designs to predict counts of violent criminal offenses, utilizing data from the FBI, and thinking about variables that represent the portion of all rejected applications, the percentage of denied applications due to unsuitability, and the portion of denied applications due to statutory disqualification (e.g., criminal history record, psychological health record, fugitive status) at the county level.
Based on the percent of firearms licenses, about 1 to 5 percent of adult locals had a firearms license in Massachusetts counties. Iwama discovered no consistent impact of the brand-new legislation on decreasing 4 types of violent criminal offense (murder or nonnegligent murder, aggravated attack, break-in, rape). Her research study did discover that a one-percent increase in rejected firearm licenses and denied firearm licenses following statutory disqualifications increased robberies 7.3 and 8.9 percent, respectively.
While the percentage of rejected guns licenses and guns license applications had little to no impact on violent criminal offenses, Iwama suggests state lawmakers review their legislation to ensure that it is being implemented as designated and address difficulties identified. Are they due to individuals acquiring guns in nearby states with looser gun laws?
” It is very important for scientists, policymakers, and professionals to consider the magnitude of impacts of their laws and how they may be affected by various levels of enforcement in the state or by the absence of enforcement in surrounding states,” warns Iwama.
Amongst the research studys restrictions, Iwama notes that the data gathered from the FBI was not complete because of modifications in reporting practices. In addition, the portion of guns licenses, which she utilized as a proxy for weapon ownership, represents neither an ideal procedure of weapon owners nor an accurate count of the number of guns readily available by county. The small size of the studys sample hindered the authors capability to take a look at patterns throughout various counties in the state.
Referral: “Reducing Violence?: Examining the Impact of Gun Control Legislation in Massachusetts” by Janice Iwama, 21 October 2021, Justice Quarterly.DOI: 10.1080/ 07418825.2021.1985593.
Scientist suggests lawmakers guarantee measure is being implemented as planned.
Although lots of Americans favor broadening background checks for gun purchases, gun-control measures in Congress have stopped working to gather enough votes to pass. In contrast, some state legislatures have actually enacted procedures to minimize gun violence in their neighborhoods. A new study analyzed the impact changes to background checks and licensing policies has made on different kinds of violent crime in Massachusetts. The research study found no immediate effect, suggesting that state lawmakers might desire to ensure their legislation is being implemented as planned.
Many Americans favor expanding background checks for weapon purchases, gun-control steps in Congress have failed to garner enough votes to pass. In contrast, some state legislatures have actually enacted steps to lower weapon violence in their communities. Are they due to individuals obtaining guns in neighboring states with looser gun laws? In addition, the percentage of guns licenses, which she utilized as a proxy for weapon ownership, represents neither an ideal step of weapon owners nor an accurate count of the number of guns offered by county.
