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Economic insecurity and the rise in gun violence at US schools

Author

Listed:
  • A. R. Pah

    (Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO), Northwestern University
    Management and Organizations, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University)

  • J. Hagan

    (Northwestern University
    American Bar Foundation)

  • A. L. Jennings

    (Northwestern University)

  • A. Jain

    (Northwestern University)

  • K. Albrecht

    (Northwestern University)

  • A. J. Hockenberry

    (Northwestern University)

  • L. A. N. Amaral

    (Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO), Northwestern University
    Northwestern University
    Northwestern University
    Northwestern University)

Abstract

Frequent school shootings are a unique US phenomenon that has defied understanding1,2. Uncovering the aetiology of this problem is hampered by the lack of an established dataset3,4. Here we assemble a carefully curated dataset for the period 1990–2013 that is built upon an exhaustive review of existing data and original sources. Using this dataset, we find that the rate of gun violence is time-dependent and that this rate is heightened from 2007 to 2013. We further find that periods of increased shooting rates are significantly correlated with increases in the unemployment rate across different geographic aggregation levels (national, regional and city). Consistent with the hypothesis that increasing uncertainty in the school-to-work transition contributes to school shootings, we find that multiple indicators of economic distress significantly correlate with increases in the rate of gun violence when events at both K12 and post-secondary schools are considered.

Suggested Citation

  • A. R. Pah & J. Hagan & A. L. Jennings & A. Jain & K. Albrecht & A. J. Hockenberry & L. A. N. Amaral, 2017. "Economic insecurity and the rise in gun violence at US schools," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 1(2), pages 1-6, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:1:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1038_s41562-016-0040
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-016-0040
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    Cited by:

    1. Walter Bossert & Andrew E. Clark & Conchita d'Ambrosio & Anthony Lepinteur, 2019. "Economic Insecurity and the Rise of the Right," PSE Working Papers halshs-02325984, HAL.
    2. Karsten Schweikert & Manuel Huth & Mark Gius, 2021. "Detecting a copycat effect in school shootings using spatio‐temporal panel count models," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(4), pages 719-736, October.
    3. Maya Rossin-Slater & Molly Schnell & Hannes Schwandt & Sam Trejo & Lindsey Uniat, 2020. "Local exposure to school shootings and youth antidepressant use," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 117(38), pages 23484-23489, September.
    4. Cabral, Marika & Kim, Bokyung & Rossin-Slater, Maya & Schnell, Molly & Schwandt, Hannes, 2020. "Trauma at School: The Impacts of Shootings on Students' Human Capital and Economic Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 13998, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Mason Youngblood, 2020. "Extremist ideology as a complex contagion: the spread of far-right radicalization in the United States between 2005 and 2017," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 7(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Brodeur, Abel & Yousaf, Hasin, 2019. "The Economics of Mass Shootings," IZA Discussion Papers 12728, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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