National Survey Results: Columbine Generation Fears Gun Violence on Campuses

5/8/2003

From: Chris McGrath of Handgun-Free America, 703-465-0474

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- A new report released by Handgun-Free America finds that, by the time they reach college, many students nationwide have experienced gun violence first-hand and continue to see it as an immediate threat that needs to be addressed. The report analyzes the results of a nationwide survey of college newspaper editors conducted by Handgun-Free America, a national grassroots organization working to ban handguns in America. More than 100 editors from 35 states participated in the survey, which asked about their attitudes on a variety of gun control measures.

35 percent of all respondents know someone who has been shot, and 14 percent personally encountered a gun when they were in high school. The report also found that 86 percent of respondents believe that gun violence is a problem in the U.S., and 77 percent believe it is a problem in their state.

The survey found that half of all students believe handguns are carried on campus by other students. Chris McGrath, executive director of Handgun-Free America, noted: "This survey should serve as a red flag to college administrators, educators and parents that with an increase in guns on campus, the likelihood of incidents involving guns increases significantly."

The survey found that most editors support the vast majority of gun control measures, with over 80 percent in favor of closing the gun show loophole, supporting mandatory registration of handguns, renewing the Assault Weapons Ban, and regulating guns similar to other products. Over 60 percent of editors think that gun sales through classified ads should be prohibited and that only law enforcement should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon. These results reflect a National Gun Policy Survey taken by the National Opinion Research Center, which found that the majority of Americans endorse additional measures to regulate guns and reduce gun violence.

The report notes that students currently in college are the "Columbine" generation -- the youth who survived shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado and other schools across the country. "College students of today lived through tragic school shootings when they were in high school, and it is crucial for colleges to prevent gun violence from being a major problem on campuses nationwide," McGrath said.

Funding provided by the Joyce Foundation. The full text of the report can be found on the web at http://www.handgunfree.org.