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Guns and Crime
Author(s) -
Moody Carlisle E.,
Marvell Thomas B.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
southern economic journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.762
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 2325-8012
pISSN - 0038-4038
DOI - 10.1002/j.2325-8012.2005.tb00672.x
Subject(s) - causation , commission , criminology , violent crime , gun violence , state (computer science) , poison control , injury prevention , political science , psychology , law , computer science , medical emergency , medicine , algorithm
We estimate several models of handguns and crime based on state‐level panel data for 1977‐1998 using both General Social Survey data on gun availability and a new measure of handgun prevalence. We find that handguns have a negligible effect on crime. Apparently, there is either no causation between guns and crime, or a rough equilibrium between criminals who use guns in the commission of crime and ordinary citizens who use guns to defend themselves and deter crime.