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The Presence Of A Gun Essay

Decent Essays

Scholars have often debated whether guns influence an individual to commit a violence act. It is hypothesized that an individual in the presence of a firearm, has an increased likelihood of exhibiting anti-social behaviors. The studies presented, will investigate whether the presence of a gun, is a stimulus for aggressive behaviors (Berkowitz & Lepage, 1967; Anderson, Benjamin & Bartholow, 1998; Bartholow, Anderson, Carnagey & Benjamin, 2005). Studies regarding whether gun ownership influences the likelihood of abnormal behaviors in adolescence will be examined (Cunningham, Henggler, Limber, Melton & Nation, 2000; Sprinkles, 2007). Gun ownership rates and various violent acts will also be investigated, such as homicide rates and suicide rates (Hemenway & Miller, 2000; Killias, Van Kesteren & Rindlisbacher, 2001; Gius, 2009; Siegel, Ross & King, 2013). Extrinsic factors including race/ethnicity, culture, and the environment will additionally be addressed (Cunningham et al., 2000; Sprinkles, 2007; Rajan, Namdar & Ruggles, 2015). After all research has been analyzed, it will be apparent that the presence of a firearm is correlated to aggressive behaviors. Before delving into gun ownership rates, it is important to discuss the history of experiments regarding gun presence and aggression. An early experiment conducted by Berkowitz & Lepage (1967), investigated whether the presence of a weapon elicited hostile behaviors. The study observed 100 male students, who were attending

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