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Reducing Gun Violence in America: Informing Policy with Evidence and Analysis
Amid a growing consensus that the staggering toll of gun violence in the United States is an urgent public health issue, the Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health has convened experts on gun policy and violence from the United States and selected other countries to summarize relevant research and its implications for policymakers and concerned citizens. Legal scholars weigh in on the constitutionality of recommended policies, and researchers present new data on public support for a wide array of policies designed to reduce gun violence. Collected for the first time in one volume, this reliable, empirical research and legal analysis will inform the policy debate by helping lawmakers and opinion leaders identify the policy changes that are most likely to reduce gun violence in the United States.
Researchers draw on new and existing studies on U.S. gun policies to demonstrate both the weaknesses of current federal gun policies and the efficacy of various state laws designed to reduce firearm availability to high-risk groups. By analyzing scientific and legal data, the contributors provide evidence in support of enhanced regulation and oversight of licensed gun dealers, background checks for private sales, and purchaser licensing. Lessons from bans of assault weapons and of large-capacity magazines for guns are considered, as is the promise of "smart guns," which could be fired only by authorized users. Compelling case studies from Australia, Scotland, and Brazil demonstrate effective policy responses to gun violence that have led to significant reductions in gun-related deaths. The book concludes with data on public support for strengthening gun laws and Second Amendment considerations.
Researchers draw on new and existing studies on U.S. gun policies to demonstrate both the weaknesses of current federal gun policies and the efficacy of various state laws designed to reduce firearm availability to high-risk groups. By analyzing scientific and legal data, the contributors provide evidence in support of enhanced regulation and oversight of licensed gun dealers, background checks for private sales, and purchaser licensing. Lessons from bans of assault weapons and of large-capacity magazines for guns are considered, as is the promise of "smart guns," which could be fired only by authorized users. Compelling case studies from Australia, Scotland, and Brazil demonstrate effective policy responses to gun violence that have led to significant reductions in gun-related deaths. The book concludes with data on public support for strengthening gun laws and Second Amendment considerations.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 25, 2013
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229 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 18, 2013
Reducing Gun Violence in America: Informing Policy with Evidence and Analysis Edited by Daniel W. Webster and Jon S. Vernick
"Reducing Gun Violence in America Guns" is a comprehensive collection of rigorous essays/studies with the purpose of providing evidence-based research on how to reduce gun violence in America. This book takes an impassive approach to the very incendiary topical issue of violence and gun policy. Driven by the massacre of Newtown, the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research organized a gun-debate summit and edited this timely book. This excellent reference quality book is 320 pages long and is composed of nineteen chapters and broken out into the following six parts: 1. Gun Policy Lessons from the United States; Keeping Guns from High-Risk Individuals, 2. Making Gun Laws Enforceable, 3. Gun Policy Lessons from the United States; High-Risk Guns, 4. International Case Studies, 5. Second Amendment, and 6. Public Opinion on Gun Policy.
Positives:
1. A much needed evidence-based book on such an incendiary timely topic.
2. An excellent forward by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. Does a great job of summarizing seven pragmatic measures to reduce gun violence; three at the legislative level and four at the executive level.
3. The purpose of this book is to share research from more than twenty of the world's top gun-policy experts that would inform important policy. Mission accomplished.
4. This book takes an impassive, scientific approach. The authors do a good job of letting the reader know the limitations of our knowledge.
5. Provides a number of charts to back research. Many of interesting facts and tidbits interspersed throughout the book.
6. Countering misconceptions about gun policy.
7. Gun policies that actually work. A lot of policies involving regulations and oversight on gun dealers. The book also discusses initiatives with limited impact (the Brady Act) but most importantly the why.
8. The extent of violence in America: homicides, suicides and even unintentional deaths and how it relates to gun ownership. "What distinguishes children in the United States from children in the rest of the developed world is the simple, devastating fact that they die—mostly by firearms—at far higher rates".
9. Mental illness research. "Bipolar disorder was positively associated with violent crime compared with depression. Schizophrenia was negatively associated with violent crime compared with depression". Depression and how it relates to suicide.
10. Domestic violence. "For at least the past twenty-five years, more intimate partner homicides (IPHs) have been committed with guns than with all other weapons combined. Furthermore, women are more likely to be killed by an intimate partner than by any other offender group". A solid chapter.
11. Effectiveness of denying firearms. "Federal and state governments should broaden their criteria for denial of firearm purchase and possession to include persons convicted of violent misdemeanors". Background checks and preventing the diversion of guns to criminals. Policies that work, like the ones in New York.
12. The serious problem of preventing illegal gun transfers. Six policy and legislative recommendations to improve the capacity of the U.S. Dept. of Justice to enforce federal laws against gun traffickers.
13. The effectiveness of past ban on assault weapons and the loopholes, oh the ever present loopholes. "Relatively cosmetic changes, such as removing a flash hider or bayonet mount, were thus sufficient to transform a banned weapon into a legal substitute".
14. The need for personalized guns. "To require all guns to be personalized does not interfere with Second Amendment rights—one can still keep and bear arms, but the arms would be designed in such a manner as to reduce the likelihood of being involved in mayhem".
15. The book catches its much needed second breath with the introduction of international case studies of responses to gun violence: Great Britain, Australia and Brazil. The Big Melt...destroying a third of its privately owned guns. "The most comprehensive impact study of the Australian interventions found that “the buyback led to a drop in the firearm suicide rates of almost 80%, with no significant effect on non-firearm death rates".
16. Thought provoking..." A firearm is a good instrument for attack, but not for defense. The attacker uses the element of surprise and thus controls the circumstances of the attack".
17. A look into the second amendment. Recent court cases and their impact. "Not all regulations restricting guns burden the right to keep and bear arms, and not all regulations that do burden the right are unconstitutional".
18. What the data says about public opinion.
19. An excellent summary chapter on the consensus for reforms to federal gun policies.
20. Great notes and biographies of contributors. Links worked great!
Negatives:
1. The book is quite dry and repetitive.
2. Statistical analysis even at its most basic will go over the heads of most laypeople.
3. No consideration whatsoever on the decriminalization/legalization of drugs and how it relates to gun violence. Missed opportunity.
4. The American "culture of violence" was never addressed. Video games, violent movies...for the record, when you have many countries playing the same violent games without any causal correlation to gun violence well the point is mute as far as I'm concerned but would have liked a chapter on it for reference sake.
5. An appendix of most common weapons in the U.S. with specs would have added value.
6. The overall global violence is trending downward, please refer to Steven Pinker's excellent book, "The Better Angels of our Nature: Why Violence has Declined".
In summary, this is a much needed and timely book on the hot-button issue of gun control. It is an excellent timely reference that takes the emotions out of the debate and provides readers with scholarly research on the topic. The book addresses to satisfaction the role of guns in violence and a number of measures that can be taken to reduce it. My biggest complaint is that the book is quite dry and repetitive. The statistical analysis even at its most basic level will go over the heads of most layperson. All that being said, this is a very solid reference book; reducing gun violence in America is a very complex issue that involves many overlapping variables. I thank the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research for providing the public a much needed tool. I highly recommend it.
Further recommendations, "Guns" by Stephen King, "Living with Guns: A Liberal's Case for the Second Amendment" by Craig Whitney, "Beyond Terror: The Truth About the Real Threats to Our World" by Abbott, Rogers & Sloboda, "Cruel Creeds, Virtuous Violence" by David Eller.
"Reducing Gun Violence in America Guns" is a comprehensive collection of rigorous essays/studies with the purpose of providing evidence-based research on how to reduce gun violence in America. This book takes an impassive approach to the very incendiary topical issue of violence and gun policy. Driven by the massacre of Newtown, the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research organized a gun-debate summit and edited this timely book. This excellent reference quality book is 320 pages long and is composed of nineteen chapters and broken out into the following six parts: 1. Gun Policy Lessons from the United States; Keeping Guns from High-Risk Individuals, 2. Making Gun Laws Enforceable, 3. Gun Policy Lessons from the United States; High-Risk Guns, 4. International Case Studies, 5. Second Amendment, and 6. Public Opinion on Gun Policy.
Positives:
1. A much needed evidence-based book on such an incendiary timely topic.
2. An excellent forward by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. Does a great job of summarizing seven pragmatic measures to reduce gun violence; three at the legislative level and four at the executive level.
3. The purpose of this book is to share research from more than twenty of the world's top gun-policy experts that would inform important policy. Mission accomplished.
4. This book takes an impassive, scientific approach. The authors do a good job of letting the reader know the limitations of our knowledge.
5. Provides a number of charts to back research. Many of interesting facts and tidbits interspersed throughout the book.
6. Countering misconceptions about gun policy.
7. Gun policies that actually work. A lot of policies involving regulations and oversight on gun dealers. The book also discusses initiatives with limited impact (the Brady Act) but most importantly the why.
8. The extent of violence in America: homicides, suicides and even unintentional deaths and how it relates to gun ownership. "What distinguishes children in the United States from children in the rest of the developed world is the simple, devastating fact that they die—mostly by firearms—at far higher rates".
9. Mental illness research. "Bipolar disorder was positively associated with violent crime compared with depression. Schizophrenia was negatively associated with violent crime compared with depression". Depression and how it relates to suicide.
10. Domestic violence. "For at least the past twenty-five years, more intimate partner homicides (IPHs) have been committed with guns than with all other weapons combined. Furthermore, women are more likely to be killed by an intimate partner than by any other offender group". A solid chapter.
11. Effectiveness of denying firearms. "Federal and state governments should broaden their criteria for denial of firearm purchase and possession to include persons convicted of violent misdemeanors". Background checks and preventing the diversion of guns to criminals. Policies that work, like the ones in New York.
12. The serious problem of preventing illegal gun transfers. Six policy and legislative recommendations to improve the capacity of the U.S. Dept. of Justice to enforce federal laws against gun traffickers.
13. The effectiveness of past ban on assault weapons and the loopholes, oh the ever present loopholes. "Relatively cosmetic changes, such as removing a flash hider or bayonet mount, were thus sufficient to transform a banned weapon into a legal substitute".
14. The need for personalized guns. "To require all guns to be personalized does not interfere with Second Amendment rights—one can still keep and bear arms, but the arms would be designed in such a manner as to reduce the likelihood of being involved in mayhem".
15. The book catches its much needed second breath with the introduction of international case studies of responses to gun violence: Great Britain, Australia and Brazil. The Big Melt...destroying a third of its privately owned guns. "The most comprehensive impact study of the Australian interventions found that “the buyback led to a drop in the firearm suicide rates of almost 80%, with no significant effect on non-firearm death rates".
16. Thought provoking..." A firearm is a good instrument for attack, but not for defense. The attacker uses the element of surprise and thus controls the circumstances of the attack".
17. A look into the second amendment. Recent court cases and their impact. "Not all regulations restricting guns burden the right to keep and bear arms, and not all regulations that do burden the right are unconstitutional".
18. What the data says about public opinion.
19. An excellent summary chapter on the consensus for reforms to federal gun policies.
20. Great notes and biographies of contributors. Links worked great!
Negatives:
1. The book is quite dry and repetitive.
2. Statistical analysis even at its most basic will go over the heads of most laypeople.
3. No consideration whatsoever on the decriminalization/legalization of drugs and how it relates to gun violence. Missed opportunity.
4. The American "culture of violence" was never addressed. Video games, violent movies...for the record, when you have many countries playing the same violent games without any causal correlation to gun violence well the point is mute as far as I'm concerned but would have liked a chapter on it for reference sake.
5. An appendix of most common weapons in the U.S. with specs would have added value.
6. The overall global violence is trending downward, please refer to Steven Pinker's excellent book, "The Better Angels of our Nature: Why Violence has Declined".
In summary, this is a much needed and timely book on the hot-button issue of gun control. It is an excellent timely reference that takes the emotions out of the debate and provides readers with scholarly research on the topic. The book addresses to satisfaction the role of guns in violence and a number of measures that can be taken to reduce it. My biggest complaint is that the book is quite dry and repetitive. The statistical analysis even at its most basic level will go over the heads of most layperson. All that being said, this is a very solid reference book; reducing gun violence in America is a very complex issue that involves many overlapping variables. I thank the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research for providing the public a much needed tool. I highly recommend it.
Further recommendations, "Guns" by Stephen King, "Living with Guns: A Liberal's Case for the Second Amendment" by Craig Whitney, "Beyond Terror: The Truth About the Real Threats to Our World" by Abbott, Rogers & Sloboda, "Cruel Creeds, Virtuous Violence" by David Eller.
May 1, 2013
You can tell they hurried this but that doesn't mean it isn't worth the time to read. I was surprised by some of the facts, especially about how many suicides are gun related. We need to think about how to resolve gun violence and ownership issues and to not base law changes on poorly executed, knee jerk reactions as we've done in the past.
May 28, 2013
Must read for anyone with an opinion on gun control in the Unites States. Specifically the section on gun control in Great Britain in the wake of the Dunblane massacre. Excellent Read!
January 23, 2018
This book is a relatively comprehensive collection of scientific studies and some essays written by people responsible for writing and implementing public policy regarding firearm violence and the prevention of firearm violence. I am not going to lie this book is a heavy lift but it is detailed, well researched, and well structured. It provides clear analysis. If you read this you will walk away with a accurate understanding of the current stats of firearm violence in the US, policy measures that have been implemented and studied in cities and states that have proven to decrease firearm deaths, policies implemented in other countries to decrease firearm deaths, the Constitutional scope of the Second Amendment based on the SCOTUS precedent,and findings that include in the final chapter-researched actionable policy initiatives from the "Summit On Reducing Gun Violence In America" held at Johns Hopkins University Jan 14th and 15th 2013. If you are looking for a better understanding of why more than 30,000 Americans lose their lives to gun violence in the United States every year and what policies could be implemented to decrease this number, this is a book with the answers.
June 18, 2017
A compiling of different research so dry at times but so informative it's worth reading if you want to know more about the gun debate.
July 26, 2014
An interesting collection of essays which certainly gave me a lot to think about. I appreciate the overall approach which seems quite rational and well researched. There was enough methodological information to give me a sense of confidence in their approach without being too distracting. This book had me question some of my own assumptions. I'm certainly aware of many of the deficiencies in our current gun regulatory regime. This was not a political book, it really seems to be good and sensible. I still can't grasp why anyone might oppose putting in place restrictions on private sale of firearms so as to require the same background checks as you would on any new purchase. Why don't you want to keep guns out of the hands of "bad guys?"
March 15, 2014
Due to the fact that I was forced to read this book as a class requirement, I cannot say that I read it with an intent to enjoy it. There were several high points, namely articles detailing the gun control process in Brazil, Australia, and Great Britain, as well as the article on "smart-guns". Most of the articles were well written and admitted any weak points in the research methods, etc. and concluded in ways so that those of us not familiar with the types of analysis used could still understand the essential findings.
May 8, 2018
While this book is an important addition to an informed discussion on gun policy, its written style can at times be overly generalized and lack some of the precision that the studies it discusses would include. I understand that this has to happen to a degree for it to be received by a non-specialist audience, but I think the authors could have placed more trust in the reader and at least given them the option of a more detailed report.
May 20, 2019
Not exactly a page turner, but it is an excellent resource that defines the scope and magnitude of firearm violence, as well as clearly staying evidence-based policy recommendations. Three of the authors were professors of mine at Hopkins and that's one reason I chose this book in particular. It's a collection of journal articles. I particularly liked reading about gun control policy effects in other countries, like Australia and Brazil. I wished they had used more examples like those.
July 11, 2021
All I have to say is that I am tremendously disappointed that more books aren't written like this. The entire volume is a collection of real statistics, evidence, and analysis. The research studies, though at times very obviously in favor of radical gun regulation, are nuanced and lovely to examine. Very comprehensive review of guns in America. And, please, don't forget to look at the bibliography.
July 28, 2022
All I have to say is that I am tremendously disappointed that more books aren't written like this. The entire volume is a collection of real statistics, evidence, and analysis. The research studies, though at times very obviously in favor of radical gun regulation, are nuanced and lovely to examine. Very comprehensive review of guns in America. And, please, don't forget to look at the bibliography.
June 16, 2023
Maybe a little dated. Unclear where laws have changed in the past 10 years. I was very interested in the data though. And in the small chapter reviewing how the Supreme Court has handled legislation that limits or regulates gun ownership. It was heartening to hear a reasoned approach to this nuanced and contentious topic.
April 9, 2017
Hand in hand with the above book is this book which was also born out of the Sandy Hook massacre. While Lysiak's book puts a face to the events and challenges around mass shootings, Webster's collection of essays by different authors approach the mass shootings from any analytical vantage point, using research and existing evidence around gun violence to determine ways and opportunities of reducing it. It offers many different approaches, none of which are monumental or unachievable and many of which do not necessarily challenge most people's thoughts around legality and appropriate level of response.
If you enjoyed this review, feel free to check out my other reviews and writings at By Any Other Nerd /
If you enjoyed this review, feel free to check out my other reviews and writings at By Any Other Nerd /
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January 17, 2014344.0533 R3214 2013
July 1, 2015
A very academic and analytical approach to reducing gun violence. Very dry reading but extremely relevant and germane to the issue of gun violence.
November 22, 2018
A good review of available research. It includes good discussions of effectiveness, constitutionality, and public approval of various policy options. It facilitated good class discussion.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews