Journal of Adolescent Health
Volume 34, Issue 1 , Pages 72-78, January 2004

The intention of adolescents to carry a knife or a gun: a study of low-income African-American adolescents

Presented in part at the Society for Adolescent Medicine Scientific Meeting, Arlington, VA, March 2000.

  • Margo A Lane, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (M.A.L.)
    • ,
  • Shayna D Cunningham, M.H.S.

      Affiliations

    • Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA (S.D.C., J.M.E.)
    • ,
  • Jonathan M Ellen, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA (S.D.C., J.M.E.)
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: Jonathan M. Ellen, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Park 307, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287-2530, USA.

Accepted 9 April 2003.

Abstract 

Purpose

To examine whether African-American inner-city adolescents are independently motivated by a fear of victimization or by delinquency to carry a knife or gun.

Methods

A household sample of 130 female and 93 male African-American adolescents, aged 13–19 years old, were queried about their fear of victimization, history of delinquency, and intention to carry a knife or a gun in the next 3 months.

Results

A high intention to carry a knife was reported by 27% of the males and 35% of the females. A high intention to carry a gun was reported by 25% of the males and 9% of the females. The intention to carry a knife was independently associated with a history of delinquency in females (odds ratio [OR] = 3.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4–6.2) and males (OR = 4.7; 95% CI = 1.7–13.3). It was not associated with a fear of victimization. The intention to carry a gun was independently associated with fear of victimization in females (OR = 4.5; 95% CI = 1.1–17.7) and males (OR = 3.3; 95% CI = 1.1–9.9). It was also independently associated with a history of delinquency in females (OR = 4.1; 95% CI = 1.1–16.3) and males (OR = 11.7; 95% CI = 3.1–44.7).

Conclusions

Delinquency may play a role in motivating inner-city African-American adolescents to carry a knife, whereas both delinquency and fear of victimization may influence adolescents’ motivation to carry a gun.

Keywords:  Adolescent health, Delinquency, Gender differences, Violence, Victimization

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PII: S1054-139X(03)00182-4

doi:10.1016/S1054-139X(03)00182-4

Journal of Adolescent Health
Volume 34, Issue 1 , Pages 72-78, January 2004

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