"Predicting Gun Owners Perceived Risk of Crime: The Role of Gender"      Samantha Doncaster        Interdisciplinary Studies   Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Nicole Hendrix Presentation Abstract

The study examines the effect of perceived risk on individuals’ likelihood of owing firearms. This study will examine the instance and pattern of fear in large, nationally representative sample. Of particular interest, it whether or not the fear is associated with higher levels of gun ownership.  Research suggests many individuals experience fear and deal with that fear in numerous ways to carry on with their daily lives. For some individuals, they may not feel safe in their environment because of their neighborhood, police, family members, or a multitude of other reasons. Therefore, some individuals buy firearms to protect themselves. This idea follows the “Castle Doctrine” or “Stand your ground laws” that some states have such as Florida. These laws permit an individual to use deadly force against an attack on their property or a public open area. Americans may purchase firearms for their homes as a preventative measure, like some own a fence. Though gun ownership is predicted to solely relate to fear and can be owned for other reasons. We hypothesize that the fear of crime will be positively related to owning a firearm.   Keywords: Gun Ownership, Fear, Gender Bias, Cultural Differences

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