Black & Latino Youth Express Greater Support for Gun Restrictions Than White Peers

Youth of Color Experience Higher Levels of Gun Violence; Report Greater Support for Increased Gun Restrictions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- 

07 - 29 - 2013
According to the Black Youth Project's latest memo, "  Gun Violence and Public Opinion on Gun Control among America's Young People ," youth of color experience higher levels of gun violence and report greater support for increased gun restrictions compared with their white peers.
Because young people are the victims of gun violence at especially high rates, our analysis examined public opinion on gun control among youth between the ages of 18-29.
In general, young people support a variety of measures designed to reduce gun violence, including restricting access to guns and ammunition, improving mental health care, and implementing national criminal background checks. 
But in contrast to their white peers, Black and Latino youth expressed greater support for increased gun restrictions, and prioritize reducing access to guns over protecting the rights of gun owners.
Nearly half of white youth reported that either they or someone they know carried a gun in the last month, compared with 24.4 percent of Black youth and 22.2 percent of Latino youth.
However, Black youth were much more likely than either Latino or white youth to report that either they or someone they know experienced gun violence in the last year or that gun violence is a serious problem in their neighborhood.
"Gun Violence and Public Opinion on Gun Control among America's Young People" is the 11th in a series of memos entitled: "Black and Latino Youth: The Future of American Politics" released by the Black Youth Project    CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL REPORT

About the Black Youth Project:
The work of The Black Youth Project (BYP) is based on three basic concepts: knowledge, voice, and action.
KNOWLEDGE:We are committed to producing research about the ideas, attitudes, decision making, and lived experiences of black youth, especially as it relates to their political and civic engagement.
VOICE: Unlike any other organization, we amplify the perspectives of young black people daily without censorship or control. We have built a space on the Internet where black youth can speak for themselves about the issues that concern them.
ACTION: Informed with culturally-specific knowledge, we will work to mobilize black youth and their allies to make positive change and build the world within which they want to live.

BlackYouthProject.com is a diverse online resource, divided into three main subsites: BYP BLOG, BYP RESEARCH, and BYP ACTION.