A growing body of research shows that when young people are victims of violence, they are more likely to carry weapons. But a recent study (Baiden et al., 2024) takes this a step further by examining a more specific question: How does exposure to neighborhood violence—simply witnessing violence around you—relate to teens carrying guns?
Using data from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, researchers analyzed responses from more than 17,000 high school students ages 14 to 18 across the United States. Two key measures were examined:
- Gun carrying: whether a teen had carried a gun in the past year
- Neighborhood violence exposure (NV): whether a teen had seen or experienced violence in their neighborhood
Both were simple yes/no questions—but the patterns that emerged were anything but simple.
What the Study Found
- 4.2% of teens reported carrying a gun in the past year.
- 18.7% reported being exposed to neighborhood violence (almost 1 in 5)
After controlling for multiple factors, the relationship between the two stood out sharply: Teens exposed to neighborhood violence had more than double the odds of carrying a gun compared to those who were not.
This finding reinforces what many of us working with youth already know: Exposure to violence—directly or indirectly—changes behavior. It shifts how young people perceive risk, safety, and what they must do to protect themselves.
Other Factors Connected to Gun Carrying
The study also found higher odds of gun carrying among teens who were:
- Male
- Non-Hispanic Black
- Threatened or injured with a weapon
- Using alcohol
- Smoking cigarettes
- Misusing prescription opioids
These patterns reflect both individual vulnerabilities and deeply rooted structural and racial inequalities.
One Protective Factor Stood Out
Despite these risks, the study highlighted a powerful buffer: High parental monitoring significantly reduced the likelihood of teens carrying a gun.
Knowing where teens are, who they’re with, and what they’re doing remains a meaningful protective factor—especially in environments where violence is present.
But There Is a Critical Caveat: Who Is Missing From the Data?
While the findings are important, this study relied on the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which collects information only from youth enrolled in school. That means:
- Teens disconnected from school
- Youth who are justice-involved
- Adolescents with chronic school absences
- Young people who have already dropped out
…are not included in the data.
These youth are the ones who may be the most likely to experience neighborhood violence and most likely to carry guns for protection or survival. So, while the study found that 4.2% of teens carried guns, the true prevalence is likely higher in the populations excluded from the survey.
This matters for policy. If policymakers rely solely on school-based surveys, they may underestimate risk, misallocate resources, or fail to target the youth most affected by community violence.
The question we should be asking is: How many youth who are not in school—living in communities saturated with violence—are carrying guns, and why are they missing from our data? Any prevention strategy that ignores this limitation risks leaving out the very young people who need support the most.
Why This Research Still Matters
Even with its limitations, this study adds to a growing recognition that:
- Violence exposure is a public health issue
- Gun carrying among youth is often a symptom, not simply a choice
- Safety is relational, contextual, and shaped by environment