Although there has been an increase in research on support for campus carry laws, few studies have examined how these laws influence campus safety. Using longitudinal data from a university sample, this study compares measures of campus safety before and after the adoption of a campus carry law. We found statistically significant increases in perceptions of campus as unsafe, fear of crime, lack of confidence in campus police, fearful conflicts, and carrying a gun on campus, but no change in violent victimization. Some changes differed for faculty/administrators, staff, and students. Also, in our exploratory multivariate analyses, we found that other factors could not explain much of the variation in changes in campus safety perceptions; these changes are likely due to allowing guns on campus.
Examining the Effects of Passing a Campus Carry Law: Comparing Campus Safety Before and After Georgia’s New Campus Carry Law
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Examining the Effects of Passing a Campus Carry Law: Comparing Campus Safety Before and After Georgia’s New Campus Carry Law
Category: Concealed Carry, Crime, Firearm Policies, Youth|Journal: Journal of School Violence|Author: H Scherer, J McCafferty, J McMahon-Howard|Year: 2021