Another look at the data on gun violence

[SecularMotion]

I wanted to gather some recent data on gun violence in our country for consideration. Let's look first at some data generated by Heeding God's Call: There are 283 million guns currently in civilian hands in the United States, yet the number of homes with guns has declined from 54 percent in 1977 to 33 percent in 2009. The average number of guns per owner has therefore increased from 4.1 in 1994 to 6.9 in 2004. Firearms kill 30,000 people each year in the United States, a number that includes accidental shootings and suicides.

Other items of interest include some statistics from other countries. There are fewer than 50 gun homicides each year in Japan. Germany, Italy and France each have fewer than 150 gun homicides annually, while Canada has fewer than 200. In the United States, more than 10,000 gun homicides occur each year.

Here is some additional data from the National Institute of Justice. A total of 467,321 individuals were victims of crime committed with a firearm in 2011. Firearms were used in 68 percent of all deaths, most involving handguns. In 1993, there were 17,075 gun homicides. In the ensuing years, that number has fluctuated, but stood at 10,869 in 2008. Gang-related homicides involved a gun in 95 percent of cases. The percentage of homicides caused by firearms in the commission of a felony went from 60 percent in 1980 to 74 percent in 2005.

Let me also remind us of some of the well-publicized shootings from 2012. There was the Colorado movie theater shooting in July. The Sikh temple shooting in Wisconsin followed in August. The tragic events in Newtown, Conn., followed in December.

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/another-look-data-gun-violence

[gejohnston]

1. how is it a different look?

Last edited Tue Jan 28, 2014, 12:44 PM - Edit history (1)

There are 283 million guns currently in civilian hands in the United States, yet the number of homes with guns has declined from 54 percent in 1977 to 33 percent in 2009.

According to one poll.

The average number of guns per owner has therefore increased from 4.1 in 1994 to 6.9 in 2004. Firearms kill 30,000 people each year in the United States, a number that includes accidental shootings and suicides.

Other items of interest include some statistics from other countries. There are fewer than 50 gun homicides each year in Japan. Germany, Italy and France each have fewer than 150 gun homicides annually, while Canada has fewer than 200. In the United States, more than 10,000 gun homicides occur each year.

post hoc ergo propter hoc. That puts US on par with Canada, Norway, Finland, and Switzerland. There are guns in 34 percent of Canadian homes, 25 percent of Italian and French homes, about the same as Florida. Germany is about 15 percent. Guns were used in about 7K murders. It is also important to note that most of the US homicides are committed in 3 percent of counties, where legal gun ownership is generally banned or not common. About 65 percent of Wyoming homes have firearms. It's murder rate is about the same as Japan's and has the lowest armed robbery rate in the US.

Here is some additional data from the National Institute of Justice. A total of 467,321 individuals were victims of crime committed with a firearm in 2011. Firearms were used in 68 percent of all deaths, most involving handguns. In 1993, there were 17,075 gun homicides. In the ensuing years, that number has fluctuated, but stood at 10,869 in 2008. Gang-related homicides involved a gun in 95 percent of cases. The percentage of homicides caused by firearms in the commission of a felony went from 60 percent in 1980 to 74 percent in 2005.

According to the NIJ, 100K to 1M people defended themselves with a gun. Those numbers also include justifiable homicides.

[Lizzie Poppet]

2. About that 'households with guns' percentage...

There are 283 million guns currently in civilian hands in the United States, yet the number of homes with guns has declined from 54 percent in 1977 to 33 percent in 2009.

I have long suspected that this "decline" has not in fact occurred (or at least to nowhere near that level). What has instead decreased is the number of people willing to admit to a complete stranger that they have firearms in the house.

[sked14]

3. ^^^This^^^

I know I would never admit to anyone on the phone, at my front door, internet polling, whatever, that I owned guns, or had guns in my house, that's just plain stupid, and that's what's more than likely going on here.

[Eleanors38]

4. There is an Economist/yougov poll this month indicating

a significant jump in the percentage of U.S. households owning guns, to 39% from 34%. Cannot provide a link with my Samsuck, but Washington Examiner reported it. A Gallup poll a yr & half ago pointed to a rise in women & Democratic gun owners (not reflected in Yougov poll). Further, in states like Conn. & Ohio where gun owners are required to register themselves to buy ANY gun, there have been significant increases, inferring a wider trend.

[spin]

6. Exactly right. If you have been exposed to the gun culture, you will realize that many ...

gun owners would never admit to a stranger conducting a survey that they own firearms. It doesn't matter if the stranger calls on the phone or comes to the front door of the gun owners house.

[Lizzie Poppet]

7. "Gun culture" stuff aside, I think this is a very common attitude.

I've never been surveyed on my gun ownership, but I suspect I'd answer in the negative, too. Then again, I also do so to completely innocuous surveys sometimes...just to be a troublemaker.

[ileus]

5. Another great article on why it's always wise to carry a sidearm.