RT Article
T1 Harmful gun behaviour and perceived collective efficacy: evidence from a cross-national study of youth detainees
JF International journal of comparative and applied criminal justice
VO 46
IS 2
SP 103
OP 118
A1 Cook, Steven
A2 Bruno, Tara
A2 Erickson, Patricia G.
A2 Butters, Jennifer E.
A2 Harrison, Lana
LA English
YR 2022
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1800994397
AB This paper examines the patterns of harmful weapon behavior and the protective influence of perceived collective efficacy on harmful weapon behavior among a cross-national sample of youth detainees in Toronto and Philadelphia. Despite different firearms policies, detained youth in both cities reveal considerable knowledge of where to get a gun. Multivariate analyses reveal that participating in gang fights, non-violent delinquency, and neighborhood gun markets are significantly related to harmful gun behavior in both cities. Only one collective efficacy subscale, perceived social cohesion, exerted a protective influence on harmful gun behavior among youth in both cities. These results suggest that in the absence of “strong ties,” reflected in family and residential stability, there may be added value in the “weak ties” provided by the community, making social cohesion an important protective characteristic for this high-risk group of youthful detainees. The significance of the findings, limitations, and potential policy implications are discussed.
K1 Cross-national comparison
K1 Collective Efficacy
K1 harmful gun behaviour
K1 Gun carrying
K1 Youth detainees
DO 10.1080/01924036.2020.1844249