Sl. Martin et al., RESPONSE OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADOLESCENTS IN NORTH-CAROLINA TO GUN CARRYING BY SCHOOL MATES, Journal of school health, 66(1), 1996, pp. 23-26
Response of African-American Adolescents in North Carolina to study ex
amined adolescents' perceptions concerning the presence of guns in the
ir school and the adolescents' emotional and behavioral responses asso
ciated with these perceptions. Survey data from 376 African-American s
ixth, seventh, and eighth grade students of a low-income area of a Nor
th Carolina city were studied. Twenty-eight percent of adolescents rep
orted that other students brought guns to school, 36% felt afraid that
someone would hurt or attack them while at school, 15% avoided school
(Or places in school) because of fear that a student would hurt or at
tack them, and 20% carried weapons, to school for self-protection. Log
istic regression analyses found that compared to their peers, adolesce
nts who perceived that their school,nates brought guns to school were
almost twice as likely to experience fear while at school, were more t
han three times more likely to exhibit school avoidance behavior, and
were more than twice as likely to bring a weapon to school themselves
for self-protection. Educators and school health professionals are urg
ed to work together to address these problems concerning school safety
.