Embargoed
for Release:
Monday, August 21, 2000
9:30 am EDT
Analysis
Poll Responses
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HAMILTON
COLLEGE YOUTH AND GUNS POLL EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Nine
out of 10 American high school students support key handgun control proposals,
according to a new poll conducted by researchers at Hamilton College.
The Hamilton College Youth and Guns Poll is the first national survey
to probe high school students' attitudes toward gun issues.
This survey of more than 1,000 high school sophomores, juniors and
seniors was designed and analyzed by Hamilton Sociology Professor Dennis
Gilbert and his students. It was wholly funded by Hamilton's Arthur Levitt
Public Affairs Center and administered by the polling firm Zogby International.
The poll had an expected margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percent.
Among the poll's main findings are the following:
HAMILTON
COLLEGE YOUTH AND GUNS POLL: ANALYSIS
Professor of Sociology, Hamilton College
GUNS
AND GUN VIOLENCE IN THE LIVES OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
The Hamilton College Guns and Youth
Poll found that high school students are aware of handguns as a national issue
and a local reality. More than 90 percent of the students interviewed said
that they had seen media coverage of gun control issues. Over 80 percent indicated that they had discussed gun control in
school, at home or with friends. Many reported instances of gun violence in
their schools or neighborhoods -- sometimes involving friends or relatives.
Almost half the students interviewed
thought that it would be easy for someone their age (typically 15 to 17) to
obtain a handgun in their neighborhood. About one-third knew of someone in
their school who had been threatened with a gun or shot at. A quarter of students said that they or someone
close to them -- like a relative or a friend -- had been "shot by a gun,"
outside of military combat. (The proportion
rose to a startling 47 percent among students living in cities with populations
over 500,000.)
The circumstances and setting of these
incidents varied. A junior at an urban
high school says she lost a close male friend who was shot and killed while
playing basketball. A senior from
a suburban high reports that her brother got in a fight and was shot in the
leg. Some students reported hunting accidents; in one case, the student's
brother had shot his father. A sophomore from a small town in the South described
a bizarre incident in which some boys were "messing around;" one
shot another "in the butt" and received a stab wound in return.
Nonetheless, most high school students
regard their schools as safe and could not recall serious incidents involving
guns in their schools or neighborhoods.
SUPPORT
FOR GUN CONTROL
Almost all the students interviewed
for the Hamilton poll support four measures currently advanced by many advocates
of handgun control: a five-day "cooling-off period" for gun purchases,
government registration of handguns, licensing of handgun owners, and background
checks for all buyers. Support for these measures, considered individually,
is generally in the 90 percent range. Eighty-five
percent of students favored at least three of the four measures. Less commonly heard proposals to raise the
age at which a handgun can be purchased or to ban handgun possession altogether
received lower levels of support.
The Hamilton researchers found that
high school students are more likely to support concrete gun control proposals
than the abstract idea of gun control. In the interviews, the questions on
specific control measures were preceded by a general question which has been
used in many national surveys of adults: "[Should] laws covering the
sale of firearms be made more strict, less strict or kept as they are?"
Sixty-five percent opted for stricter laws and 29 percent for the status quo.
(Only 5 percent wanted to roll back current laws).
Obviously, most of those who did not opt for stricter laws in the abstract
favored popular measures like the waiting period and licensing.
Gun Control Measures
Percent |
Gun Control Measures |
89 | Require a 5-day waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a handgun, to keep the buyer from acting on impulse against himself or others. |
96 | Register all handguns, at the time of purchase,
so they can be traced by the police when necessary for criminal investigations. |
92 | Require all handgun buyers to pass a criminal background check, whether they are buying the gun from a gun dealer or a private individual, at a store or a gun show. |
90 | Require handgun buyers to obtain a gun owner's license before purchasing a handgun. |
64 | Raise
the age at which someone can purchase a handgun from 18 to 21. |
38 | Ban
the possession of handguns except by the police and other authorized personnel. |
11 | Ban the possession of handguns by all persons, even the police |
SUPPORT
FOR GUN SAFETY LEGISLATION
Most of the high school students interviewed
for the Hamilton study were also supportive of three current gun safety proposals:
mandatory trigger locks, a required safety course for gun buyers, and potential
criminal liability for allowing guns to fall into the hands of children. Approximately
three-quarters of high school students support all three safety measures.
Gun Safety Measures
Percent |
Gun Safety Measures |
87 | Require all guns sold in the U.S. to have a trigger lock, a device that prevents a gun from being fired until the device is unlocked and removed. |
89 | Require anyone who wants to buy a gun to first pass a safety course. |
78 | Hold adults criminally responsible if they fail to store a gun safely and a child harms himself or someone else with that gun. |
CONSTITUTIONAL
RIGHTS AND GUN CONTROL
One statistic from the Hamilton poll
will please advocates of gun owners rights: 81 percent of high school students
believe that "the US Constitution guarantees individual citizens the
right to own firearms." It is thus not surprising that these teenage
respondents balk at proposals that would ban handgun possession (see above).
But two-thirds of the students who say they
believe there is a constitutional right to own guns, reject the idea that
"laws regulating the sale and use of handguns violate the constitutional
rights of gun owners." And more
than 80 percent of the students interviewed agree that the "government
should do everything it can to keep handguns out of the hands of criminals,
even if it means that it will be harder for law-abiding citizens to purchase
handguns." In short, most American
high school students are convinced that gun ownership is constitutionally
protected, but, at the same time, subject to reasonable regulation.
COMPARISONS
WITH ADULTS
To allow comparisons of teen and adult attitudes
on gun issues, the Hamilton Youth and Guns Poll replicated some questions
from current academic and media surveys of adults. The comparisons reveal that high school students
are generally more supportive of gun control than their elders. Students responding to the Hamilton survey
backed the broad notion of "stricter gun laws" at the same level
as adults but were significantly more likely than adults to favor specific control measures. They rejected the idea of a civilian gun ban
in the same proportions as adults.
But in 13 out of 14 comparisons with
recent adult polls concerning the five-day waiting period, registration of
handguns, background checks, licensing of handgun owners, and trigger locks,
the Hamilton poll found higher levels of support for the regulation of handguns. For example, 96 percent of the students interviewed
favor handgun registration, compared to 75 to 80 percent of the adults surveyed
by CNN, ABC/Washington Post, and the University of Chicago’s National Opinion
Research Center (NORC).[1]
High school students are much more
likely than adults (81 vs. 48 percent) to believe in a constitutional right
to gun ownership.[2]
But two-thirds of high school students believe that the right to ownership
does not preclude handgun regulation -- a proposition supported by a slim
majority of adults in an older (1993) Gallup poll. And students are more likely
than adults (83 vs. 75 percent) to agree that the “government should do everything”
to keep criminals from getting handguns, even if this makes it harder for
“law abiding citizens” to buy them.[3]
POTENTIAL
FOR GUN CONTROL ACTIVISM
High school students, according to
the conventional wisdom, are politically inert and indifferent. But the Hamilton poll found that a significant
minority of American high school students, by their own accounts, are potential
gun control activists. The Hamilton
researchers asked students how likely they would be to participate in various
sorts of political activities in support of stricter gun laws if they were
asked to do so by a like-minded friend. Their answers suggest considerable depth of
conviction on gun issues. They indicate that most students are willing to
sign a gun control petition, many
would participate in a protest march or demonstration, and a few are ready
to volunteer several hours a week to strengthen gun laws.
Closer analysis of the responses to
these questions suggests that one in three high school students has at least
some potential for gun control activism; one in six has relatively high potential.
The likely activists are characteristically optimistic about the ability of
young people to change gun laws by organized efforts. They are also disproportionately
female. For example, 18% percent of females responding, but only seven percent
of males, said they would be willing to participate in a protest action.[4]
Potential for Gun Control
Activism
Very likely |
Very likely or |
|
Sign a petition | 43% | 69% |
Attend a meeting | 19% | 42% |
Meet with local official | 24% | 48% |
Participate in protest | 14% | 33% |
Volunteer 5 hours | 10% | 27% |
THE
GENDER GAP AND OTHER VARIATIONS
The Hamilton Youth and Guns Poll revealed a substantial gender gap in gun attitudes among high school students. Strong majorities of both males and females support key gun control and gun safety proposals. But females are 27 percent more likely than males to favor "stricter"
gun
laws in general; 21 percent more likely to support all four basic gun control
proposals; 11 percent more likely to support all three gun safety measures;
and, judging from their expressed willingness to participate in pro-gun control
activities, 22 percent more likely to become activists.[6]
This gender gap is all the more notable
because there is otherwise little demographic variation. Factors such as family income, parents' education,
and geography -- often powerful influences on opinion -- had only modest (sometimes
statistically insignificant) effects on gun attitudes. The Hamilton researchers found that support
for gun control is greater among minority students than whites; greater in
suburbs and cities than in rural areas; and greater in the East and South
than the Midwest and West. But these differences are minor relative to
gender.
One non-demographic factor was influential:
gun ownership. Respondents who said that they or someone in their household
owned guns were, not surprisingly,
less supportive of gun control. But even here, there was strong majority support
for specific gun measures. Seventy
-seven percent of students from handgun-owning households favored at least
three of four basic control measures (vs. 86 percent from non-owning households).[7]
Gender
Differences
Percent
Favoring Proposal |
||
Males | Females | |
"Stricter gun laws" | 52 | 79 |
4 control measures | 48 | 69 |
5-day wait | 91 | 90 |
Registration | 93 | 99 |
Background check | 90 | 94 |
License owners | 85 | 95 |
Raise purchase age | 54 | 76 |
Ban, except police | 28 | 48 |
Ban for all | 13 | 9 |
3 Safety measures | 31 | 42 |
Trigger lock | 82 | 92 |
Safety course | 85 | 95 |
Safe storage | 72 | 82 |
"Very
Likely" to... |
||
Join protest | 7 | 18 |
Volunteer 5 hrs. | 4 | 14 |
Demographic Differences
Support "Stricter Gun Laws' |
Favor 4 |
|
Percent | Percent | |
Males | 52 | 48 |
Females | 79 | 69 |
White | 63 | 57 |
Black/Hisp | 76 | 66 |
East | 79 | 63 |
South | 66 | 62 |
Midwest | 60 | 54 |
West | 60 | 58 |
Rural | 59 | 49 |
Suburb | 65 | 58 |
Urban | 70 | 64 |
Family Income | ||
High | 62 | 61 |
Middle | 68 | 62 |
Low | 67 | 61 |
CONDUCTING
THE YOUTH AND GUNS POLL
The Hamilton College Youth and Guns
Poll is the third in a series of national youth surveys conducted by Hamilton
faculty and students. These studies are intended to take advantage of the
academic expertise of faculty and the life experience of Hamilton students. Previous Hamilton youth polls have dealt with
the plans and life values of graduating high school seniors (1998), and the
racial attitudes of young adults (1999).
All funding for these surveys has come from Hamilton's Arthur Levitt
Public Affairs Center.
The Youth and Guns Poll was designed and analyzed by Hamilton Sociology
Professor Dennis Gilbert and his students.
The study was administered by Zogby International and done in two stages. The first was a 300-call pilot survey, conducted
in April 2000. Half of the calls for
this stage were made by Hamilton student researchers at Zogby International
facilities. On the basis of the results from the pilot study, the questionnaire
was rewritten and submitted for comment to researchers at Catholic University,
Johns Hopkins, Harvard, and UCLA before being put in final form.[8]
This redesigned questionnaire was administered to a national sample of 1,005
high school sophomores, juniors and seniors in calls made from June 2 to 5,
by Zogby International.
A random sample of 1,000 is accurate
within plus or minus 3 percentage points.
However, obtaining a random national sample of high school students
is especially difficult. Non-sampling
problems, such as ambiguities in questionnaire items and less than candid
responses, can also affect poll accuracy. The demographics of the second stage
data suggest, however, that a representative
national sample was obtained. For the analysis presented here the sample was
re-weighted for parents' education, region, sex, race/ethnicity and year in
school, though these adjustments had little effect on the results.
HAMILTON
YOUTH AND GUNS POLL: RESPONSES TO ALL QUESTIONS (Weighted)*
Year in School | % |
Sophomore | 34.1 |
Junior | 33.5 |
Senior | 32.4 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
2) SCHOOL TYPE
School
Type |
% |
Public | 90.6 |
Catholic | 3.3 |
Private | 6.2 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[SKOL]
3)
School Size | % |
Under 500 | 21.8 |
500-1000 | 28.9 |
1000-2000 | 31.8 |
Over 2000 | 16.0 |
Not Sure | 1.5 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[SKOLSIZE]
4) SCHOOL SAFE?
Would
you rate your school as very safe, fairly safe, somewhat unsafe, or very unsafe?
SCHOOL SAFE | % |
Very Safe | 44.6 |
Safe | 49.0 |
Unsafe | 5.4 |
Very Unsafe | 1.0 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[SKOLSAFE]
5) PERSONAL SAFETY
Are
you ever concerned about personal safety at school, or on the way to and from
school?
Personal Safety | % |
Yes | 16.7 |
No | 83.3 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[RSAFE]
6)
CARRY GUN
Carry Gun | % |
Yes | 18.4 |
No | 81.6 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[GUNCARRY]
7) THREATENED OR SHOT
Do
you know of anyone in your school who has been threatened with a gun or shot
at?
Threatened or Shot | % |
Yes | 31.1 |
No | 67.8 |
Not Sure | 1.1 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[GUNTHRET]
8) SHOT?
Not including military combat, have you or anyone
close to you -- such as a friend or
relative -- ever been shot by a gun?
SHOT | % |
Yes | 25.7 |
No | 74.3 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[GUNSHOT]
9)
GUN DISCUSSION
Within the last year, have you
discussed gun control issues in class,
at home or with your friends?
GUN DISCUSSION | % |
Yes | 81.0 |
No | 19.0 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[GUNTALK]
10)
GUN MEDIA
Have
you seen anything about gun control issues in the media?
GUN MEDIA | % |
Yes |
90.9 |
No | 9.1 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[GUNMEDIA]
11) STRICTER GUN LAWS?
In general, do you feel that laws covering the
sale of firearms should be made more strict, less strict or kept as they are now
STRICTER GUN LAWS | % |
More Strict | 64.6 |
Less Strict | 5.2 |
Same | 28.6 |
Not sure | 1.6 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[GUNLAWS]
12)
COOLING OFF PERIOD
Require
a 5-day waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a handgun, to
keep the buyer from acting on impulse against himself or others.
COOLING OFF PERIOD | % |
Approve | 88.5 |
Disapprove | 9.6 |
Not Sure | 2.0 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[LAWCOOL]
13)
REGISTER HANDGUNS
Register all handguns, at the time of purchase,
so that they could be traced by the police when necessary for criminal investigations.
REGISTER HANDGUNS | % |
Approve | 96.0 |
Disapprove |
4.0 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[LAWREG]
14)
BACKGROUND CHECK
Require
all handgun buyers to pass a criminal background check, whether they are buying
the gun from a gun dealer or a private individual; at a store or gun show
BACKGROUND CHECK | % |
Approve | 92.1 |
Disapprove | 7.9 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[LAWCHECK]
15)
LICENSE
Require
handgun buyers to obtain a gun owner's license before purchasing a handgun.
LICENSE | % |
Approve | 90.3 |
Disapprove | 9.7 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[LAWLIC]
Raise the age at which someone can purchase
a handgun from 18 to 21
RAISE AGE | % |
Approve | 64.4 |
Disapprove | 34.0 |
Not Sure | 1.6 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[LAWAGE]
17) BAN CIVILIAN POSSESSION
Ban the possession of handguns except by the
police and other authorized personnel
BAN CIVILIAN POSSESSION | % |
Approve | 37.6 |
Disapprove | 59.9 |
Not Sure | 2.4 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[LAWBAN]
18)
BAN ALL POSSESSION
Ban
the possession of handguns by all persons, even the police
BAN ALL POSSESSION | % |
Approve | 11.1 |
Disapprove | 87.4 |
Not Sure | 1.5 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[LAWBANS]
19)
TRIGGER LOCK
Require
all guns sold in the US to have a trigger lock, a device that prevents a gun
from being fired until the device is unlocked and removed
TRIGGER LOCK | % |
Approve | 86.7 |
Disapprove | 13.3 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[SAFETRIG]
20)
SAFETY COURSE
Require anyone who wants to buy a gun to first
pass a gun safety course.
SAFETY
COURSE |
% |
Approve | 88.6 |
Disapprove | 10.1 |
Not Sure | 1.3 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[SAFECOUR]
21)
CHILDREN AND SAFE STORAGE
Hold
adults criminally responsible if they fail to store a gun safely and a child
harms himself or someone else with that gun
CHILDREN
AND SAFE STORAGE |
% |
Approve | 77.6 |
Disapprove | 22.4 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[SAFESTOR]
22)
LAW-ABIDING CITIZEN
The
government should do everything it can to keep handguns out of the hands of
criminals, even if it means that it will be harder for law-abiding citizens
to purchase handguns.
LAW-ABIDING CITIZEN | % |
Strong Agree | 42.4 |
Agree | 40.3 |
Disagree | 11.3 |
Strong Disagree | 4.7 |
Not Sure | 1.2 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[LAWABIDE]
23)
CONSTITUTION
In your opinion, does the US Constitution guarantee
individual citizens the right to own firearms?
CONSTITUTION | % |
Yes | 80.6 |
No | 13.2 |
Not Sure | 6.1 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[CONSTIT]
24)
REGULATION AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
Do
you believe that laws regulating the sale and use of handguns violate the
constitutional rights of gun owners? (Not
asked of respondents who answered No on #23).
REGULATION
AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS |
% |
Yes | 30.0 |
No | 63.7 |
Not Sure | 6.3 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[CONLAW]
Questions 25 to 30 measure potential for
gun-control activism. They were not asked of a small group of respondents
(about 8 percent of the sample) who
responses to items 11 (less
or same) and/or 15 (disapprove) revealed that they were generally opposed
to control measures.
25) ACTIVISM: PETITION
Suppose a friend who thinks like you do
about these issues asked you
to sign a petition calling for stronger
gun control laws. On a scale from 1
to 5, with 1 being very Unlikely and 5 being very likely, how likely is it
that you would sign the petition
ACTIVISM: PETITION |
% |
Very Unlikely |
9.4 |
(4) | 4.9 |
(3) | 16.7 |
(2) | 26.0 |
Very likely (1) | 43.1 |
100.0 | TOTAL |
[PETITION]
26)
ACTIVISM: MEETING
Attend a meeting of a group that promotes stricter
gun control.
ACTIVISM: MEETING | % |
Very unlikely (5) | 15.9 |
(4) | 13.1 |
(3) | 29.1 |
(2) | 23.0 |
Very
likely |
18.9 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[MEETING]
27)
ACTIVISM: OFFICIAL
Attend
a meeting of students with a local official to urge passage of stricter gun
laws.
ACTIVISM: OFFICIAL | % |
Very unlikely (5) | 13.2 |
(4) | 13.5 |
(3) | 25.5 |
(2) | 24.3 |
Very likely (1) | 23.5 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[OFFICIAL]
28) ACTIVISM: MARCH
Participate
in a demonstration or protest march for stronger gun control.
ACTIVISM: MARCH | % |
Very unlikely (5) | 25.9 |
(4) | 18.7 |
(3) | 22.0 |
(2) | 19.8 |
Very likely |
13.6 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[MARCH]
29) ACTIVISM: VOLUNTEER 5 HOURS
Volunteer
5 hours a week for a gun control group.
ACTIVISM:
VOLUNTEER 5 HOURS |
% |
Very Unlikely (5) | 30.9 |
(4) | 19.3 |
(3) | 22.9 |
(2) | 17.1 |
Very
likely (1) |
9.8 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[FIVE
HRS]
30)
ACTIVISM: YOUTH INFLUENCE
On
the same 1-to-5 scale, how likely do you think it is that organized efforts
by young people could influence gun laws?
ACTIVISM:
YOUTH INFLUENCE |
% |
Very unlikely (5) | 6.7 |
(4) | 9.6 |
(3) | 27.3 |
(3) | 33.2 |
Very likely (1) | 21.9 |
Not sure | 1.3 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[YOUNG]
31)
POPULATION
Which
best describes the place you live? Rural Area; Suburb; Town or City under
100k; Medium-sized City, between 100k & 500k; Large City over 500k
POPULATION | % |
Rural area | 26.9 |
Suburb | 23.4 |
Town<100k | 23.2 |
City100-500k | 16.7 |
City500k+ | 8.0 |
Not Sure | 1.8 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[PLACE]
32)
NEIGHBORHOOD INCOMES
Compared to other Americans, would you say that
the families in your neighborhood have incomes in the top third, in the
middle third, or in the lower third?
NEIGHBORHOOD INCOMES | % |
Top1/3 | 18.7 |
Middle1/3 | 68.2 |
Lower1/3 | 8.7 |
Not Sure | 4.4 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[PLACE$$$]
33)
NEIGHBORHOOD GUN PURCHASE
Would
it be easy for a person your age, living in your neighborhood to obtain a
handgun?
NEIGHBORHOOD
GUN PURCHASE |
% |
Yes | 44.5 |
No | 49.1 |
Not Sure | 6.4 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[GETGUN]
34)
NEIGHBORHOOD GUN VIOLENCE
To
your knowledge, has anyone ever been killed or seriously injured by a gunshot
in your neighborhood?
NEIGHBORHOOD GUN VIOLENCE | % |
Yes | 26.8 |
No | 73.2 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[GUNKILL]
35)
WHEN GUN VIOLENCE?
How recently did this happen? Stop me when I get to the right time period.
Within the last week, within . . .
(Asked only of respondents who answered
Yes to #34)
WHEN
GUN VIOLENCE? |
% |
Last week | 8.3 |
Last mo. | 6.9 |
Last 6mo. | 19.0 |
Last Yr. | 23.0 |
Over Yr. | 42.8 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[WHENKILL]
36) SEX
SEX | % |
Male | 48.2 |
Female | 51.8 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[SEX]
37) RACE/ ETHNICITY
Which
category best describes your ethnic or racial background? White, Black or African American, Hispanic,
Asian, Other or Mixed.
RACE/ ETHNICITY | % |
White | 72.6 |
Black | 11.0 |
Hispanic | 8.6 |
Asian | 3.6 |
Other/ Mixed | 4.3 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[RACEETH]
38) PARENTS
Do you live with both parents, your mother only,
your mother and stepfather, your father only, or your father and stepmother,
neither parent, or shared time with both.
PARENTS | % |
2 PARENTS | 73.1 |
MOTHER | 13.1 |
MA&STEP | 5.1 |
FATHER | 2.8 |
PA&STEP | 1.6 |
NEITHER | 3.0 |
SHARED | 1.4 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[2PARENTS
& PARENTS]
39) FAMILY INCOME
If you had to make a rough guess, what will
your family's income be this year?
FAMILY
INCOME |
% |
Below$50K | 21.7 |
About$50K | 33.8 |
Above$50K | 33.5 |
Not Sure | 11.0 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[FAM$$]
40)
FATHER’S EDUCATION
How much education did your father complete?
Did not complete high school, High School, Some College, College graduate,
Post graduate education.
FATHER’S EDUCATION | % |
NOT HS | 13.7 |
HS | 31.7 |
SOME COL | 17.6 |
COL | 24.1 |
GRAD ED | 11.1 |
NOT SURE | 2.5 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[PAED]
41) MOTHER’S EDUCATION
How much education did your mother complete?
MOTHER’S EDUCATION | % |
NOT HS | 11.8 |
HS | 31.3 |
SOME COL | 18.1 |
COL | 28.4 |
GRAD ED | 8.9 |
NOT SURE | 1.5 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[MAED]
42) LONG GUNS
Do you or anyone else in your household own
a rifle or shotgun?
LONG
GUNS |
% |
Yes | 44.5 |
No | 55.5 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[LONGUN]
43)
HANDGUN
Do you or anyone else in your household own
a handgun?
HANDGUN | % |
Yes | 24.8 |
No | 75.2 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[HANDGUN]
44) NRA
Do you or anyone in your household belong to
the NRA-- the National Rifle Association?
NRA | % |
Yes | 12.6 |
No | 83.6 |
Not Sure | 3.8 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[NRA]
45) POLITICAL PARTY
Do
you consider yourself a Democrat, Republican or neither?
POLITICAL PARTY | % |
Democrat | 23.9 |
Republican | 19.0 |
Neither | 49.5 |
Not Sure | 7.7 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[PARTY]
46) RELIGION
Do
you consider yourself Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, some other religion or
no religion at all?
RELIGION | % |
Protestant | 17.6 |
Catholic | 29.6 |
Jewish | 1.8 |
Some other | 32.7 |
None | 17.2 |
Not Sure | 1.2 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[RELIGION]
47)
BORN AGAIN
Would you describe yourself as an evangelical
or born again Christian? [Not asked of respondents who replied Jewish or none
on previous question]
BORN
AGAIN |
% |
Yes | 50.7 |
No | 38.6 |
Not Sure | 10.9 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[BORNAGN]
48) VIDEO GAMES
In the past week, have you played any first
person action games, such as Half-Life, Bond or Quake, where the objective
is to kill your opponent?
VIDEO
GAMES |
% |
Yes | 25.1 |
No | 74.9 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[GAMES]
49) GRADES
What have your grades been during the current
school year? Stop me when I get to the right level
GRADES | % |
Mostly A's | 26.7 |
A's & B's | 33.0 |
Mostly B's | 12.3 |
B's & C's | 17.2 |
Mostly C's | 4.3 |
C's & D's | 5.2 |
D's & F's | 1.1 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[GRADES]
50) STUDY PLANS
How much schooling do you expect to complete?
May not finish HS, HS, Some College,
College graduate, Post graduate education
STUDY PLANS | % |
Not HS | 1.3 |
HS | 6.6 |
Some col | 7.6 |
Col grad | 62.1 |
Post grad | 22.4 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[SKOLPLAN]
51)
REGION
REGION | % |
East | 20.9 |
South | 27.9 |
Midwest | 30.2 |
West | 20.9 |
TOTAL | 100.0 |
[REGION]
Analysis | Poll Responses | Contact
For more information contact Dennis Gilbert via email
at dgilbert@hamilton.edu or at
202-244-5654.
______
*NOTES:
Results are weighted for parents’ education, for region, race/ethnicity, and
year in school. “Not sure” responses
(always volunteered) and refusals were excluded from tabulations unless they exceed 1 percent of sample.
[1]
These polls were conducted in April 2000 (CNN), May 2000 (ABC/Post),
and Sept-Dec. 1999 (NORC). (The
NORC “National Gun Policy Survey” was done in collaboration with the Johns
Hopkins University Center for Gun Policy and Research).
Comparisons were also made with polls conducted by Gallup in May
2000 and CBS in August 1999. There was some variation in the language used
by different polling organizations.
[2] The
comparison is with the 1999 CBS poll, which used slightly different language.
CBS referred to the "second amendment to the Constitution," while
Hamilton simply asked about “the Constitution.”
[3] Here
the comparison involves identical language used in the 1999 NORC survey
and the Hamilton poll.
[4] These
figures and those in the table that follows are based on responses from
92 percent of the sample. The activism
items were not asked of the 8 percent whose previous answers indicated they
are generally opposed to gun control. A separate set of activism questions
were put to this anti-control minority in the pilot survey discussed below,
but dropped from the final poll because small numbers made statistical significance
problematic.
[5] Proportion
of responses of 4 or 5 on five-point scale, with 5 defined as "very
likely" and 1 as "very unlikely."
[6] These
potential gun control activists gave an average response of 4 or above on
a 5-point scale to items about willingness to sign a gun control position,
participate in a protest march, etc. See
section on activism above.
[7] Support
for all four measures was 44 vs. 63 percent.
[8] The
Hamilton researchers are grateful for comments received from Judy Bonderman,
Tracy Merrill, Stephen Teret, David Hemenway, and Susan Sorenson.