Effects of gun admonitions on the behaviors and attitudes of school-aged boys

Author: Hardy, M. S.
Publication: J Dev Behav Pediatr
Topics: Age Group Ethnicity Gender Social Science Students
Keywords: African-American Behavior admonition boy gun
Bibliographic information +

The author evaluated the impact of gun admonitions on boys’ preferences for and behavior in the presence of a gun, using a sample of 55, mostly African-American, boys from a summer camp for disadvantaged youth in the Southeast. At baseline, the boys ranked their preference for a gun in comparison with other objects. A week later, when left alone in the room with the objects, they were forbidden to touch either the gun or some other object. All participants were significantly more likely to touch the forbidden gun than to touch other forbidden objects. Age, parent- and coach-reported simulated gun-play, and coach reported risky behavior predicted gun-touching behavior.