New study links neighborhood violence, youth fighting, and perceived firearm availability
A new study from Penn’s School of Nursing reveals a critical link between neighborhood firearm violence exposure, involvement in fighting, and adolescents’ perceived ability to obtain a firearm outside the home.
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A new study led by Jungwon Min, research professor and director of the BECCA Lab at Penn’s School of Nursing, uncovers a significant association between neighborhood firearm violence exposure, involvement in fighting, and adolescents’ perceived ability to obtain a firearm outside the home. The research is published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The study, Neighborhood Firearm Violence, Psychosocial Risks, and Youth Firearm Perception, highlights that adolescents living in neighborhoods with higher rates of firearm violence are more likely to perceive firearms as accessible outside the home, even if they do not have firearms at home. Fighting behavior was found to mediate 32% of the relationship between neighborhood firearm violence and perceived outside-home firearm availability, pointing to the layered risks faced by youth in high-violence settings.
“Our findings underscore the urgent need for interventions that address youth firearm access not just within the home, but also in community contexts,” says Min. “Both structural and individual-level factors—like neighborhood violence and fighting behavior—shape how youth perceive firearm availability. The emergency department, where many of these youth are seen, is a crucial setting for early identification and intervention.”
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