The Implications of Evaluating Gun Laws on Crime and Violence
Abstract
The US is one of the nations whose statutes do not infringe on individuals’ right to own firearms. However, compared to countries like Canada, Norway, and Australia, the US reports a significantly higher number of gun violence cases and related crimes. Unfortunately, the issue of evaluating gun laws in the United States is equally supported and opposed since many individuals do not associate these laws with high crime and violence rates. On the other hand, most people presume that the high number of firearms in communities makes it easier to carry out these atrocities. Therefore, the following research proposal details a plan to investigate the potential implications of evaluating gun control laws on crime and violence rates.
Introduction
Waking up to the news of mass shootings in public places where individuals assume that they are free from harm has become a norm in the US due to the increased prevalence of violent crimes by heavily armed individuals. Nevertheless, individuals bear conflicting opinions on the role of gun laws on the high levels of insecurity. Hence, it is critical to investigate whether altering gun laws will affect the rates of violence and crime in local communities. That being said, the following passages detail a research proposal to investigate the potential implications of evaluating gun control laws.
The main aim of the research is to investigate the relationship between stricter gun policies and the rates of gun violence in the US. Therefore, the research will base its initiatives on the question “how will imposing strict gun laws and prohibiting firearm ownership affect gun incidents and gun-associated violence rates in the US. Given the complicated nature of the subject, it is crucial to adopt evidence-based information in decision-making for reliable outcomes. Hence, the research aims to collect data from research resources and information from individuals in the general public, local community leaders, and lawmakers regarding their thoughts and opinions on the matter.
Literature Review
The United States is one of the nations with loose gun policies that allow civilians to own and walk with concealed firearms without any evaluation or safety training. As a result, many scholars and policy-makers suggest that the prevalence of gun ownership in the region is correlated with the increase in crime and violence (Schleimer et al., 2021). According to Siegel et al. (2020), guns are lethal weapons with a high destructive potential in the wrong hands. Thus, it is impossible to control who has access to firearms in a society where they are easily accessible (Madhavan et al., 2019). Researchers propose that more guns in the community translate to everyone having access, including sadistic and mentally deranged individuals who perpetrate violent massacres (Yelderman et al., 2019). Hence, enacting strict gun laws will reduce the number of firearms in the community and limit access, thus reducing gun-related crimes and violence.
However, many individuals also differ when it comes to altering gun laws as they believe these laws are not the problem. Individuals supporting the current US gun policies argue that carrying firearms serves as an extension of law enforcement as it allows civilians to deter crime (Gius, 2019). These individuals point at weak frameworks in ensuring security and monitoring threats, thus exposing the public to a high risk of crime. Thus, they suggest that limiting individuals from owning firearms will not decrease crime and violence but encourage others to take advantage of people who cannot protect themselves (Zeoli & Paruk, 2020). Hence, instead of limiting guns in the community, authorities should set up more advanced solutions to identify and neutralize threats (Siegel et al., 2020). Otherwise, restricting guns will have no impact on crime and violence rates. Thus, applying evidence-based reasoning to the case can help make the right decision.
Theoretical Framework and Research Design
Research Methods
Gun laws in the US were enacted into the constitution as a solution to enhance the security of individuals from rouge militia by giving them the means to protect themselves. However, the context does not apply in the modern age since human society has changed and advanced (Schleimer et al., 2021). These days, guns seem to contribute to higher crime rates and violence, thus posing a threat to positive human development. That being said, investigating the potential implications of harsh gun regulations on crime and violence rates can help convince individuals that owning guns for protection is a cultural phenomenon that is outdated. As a result, the research will adopt a mixed-method approach to the study since it aims to collect both qualitative and quantitative data (Mkandawire, 2019). The qualitative data will comprise individuals’ perceptions about the evaluation of gun laws, while the qualitative aspects will compare data on crime rates between the US and nations with stern gun laws.
Sampling and Recruitment Techniques
Given the scope of the study, the research will adopt a random sampling technique to select participants from the general public. In addition, the study will obtain qualitative data from a sample of community leaders and lawmakers. On the other hand, the research will obtain quantitative information from government websites, peer-reviewed articles, and research studies with relevant information regarding the topic. Hopefully, these resources will provide the appropriate information for analysis and discussion.
Data Collection Methods and Ethical Considerations
The research plans to collect qualitative and quantitative data, meaning that it will adopt mixed data collection methods to ensure that the information is relevant for the study. Thus, the research plans to obtain primary qualitative data from lawmakers and community leaders using interviews (Mkandawire, 2019). Subsequently, the research will record the opinions of individuals through an online survey. Nevertheless, the research will observe high levels of ethical practice, including informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, voluntary participation, and anonymity (Fiesler, 2019). Furthermore, the research will obtain qualitative data from government records, authoritative websites, and peer-reviewed articles or journals. However, the research will only retrieve information collected within the past five years to ensure validity and reliability.
Data Analysis
Data collected using qualitative means will be analyzed by coding, using computer software and advanced coding solutions. Thereafter, the analysis will involve identifying similar concepts, components, and ideas and then evaluating their relationships. Similarly, the research will analyze the quantitative data statistically by retrieving numerical samples. In addition, the analysis will involve tabulating the data and testing for correlations (Mkandawire, 2019). Finally, the research will compare the data obtained from the qualitative and qualitative analyses for further insight into the issue.
Conclusion
Gun laws in the US pose a social crisis because of an increasing number of cases as time goes by. As a result, many individuals blame gun violence incidents and shooting massacres on the loose gun laws that allow any individual with a reasonable cause to own and operate concealed firearms. However, some individuals protest that banning guns or enacting stern policies is not the solution to the increased violence and crime rates. Therefore, researching to investigate potential factors associated with gun laws and violence and their correlations can provide more answers to guide decision-making and the establishment of reliable policies.
References
Fiesler, C. (2019). Ethical considerations for research involving (speculative) public data. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 3(GROUP), 1-13. Web.
Gius, M. (2019). Campus crime and concealed carry laws: Is arming students the answer?. The Social Science Journal, 56(1), 3-9. Web.
Madhavan, S., Taylor, J. S., Chandler, J. M., Staudenmayer, K. L., & Chao, S. D. (2019). Firearm legislation stringency and firearm-related fatalities among children in the US. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 229(2), 150-157. Web.
Mkandawire, S. B. (2019). Selected Common Methods and Tools for Data Collection in Research. Marvel Publishers.
Schleimer, J. P., McCort, C. D., Shev, A. B., Pear, V. A., Tomsich, E., De Biasi, A.,… & Wintemute, G. J. (2021). Firearm purchasing and firearm violence during the coronavirus pandemic in the United States: a cross-sectional study. Injury Epidemiology, 8(1), 1-10. Web.
Siegel, M., Goder-Reiser, M., Duwe, G., Rocque, M., Fox, J. A., & Fridel, E. E. (2020). The relation
between state gun laws and the incidence and severity of mass public shootings in the United States, 1976–2018. Law and human behavior, 44(5), 347. Web.
Yelderman, L. A., Joseph, J. J., West, M. P., & Butler, E. (2019). Mass shootings in the United States: Understanding the importance of mental health and firearm considerations. Psychology, public policy, and law, 25(3), 212. Web.
Zeoli, A. M., & Paruk, J. K. (2020). Potential to prevent mass shootings through domestic violence firearm restrictions. Criminology & Public Policy, 19(1), 129-145. Web.