Young Guns: Examining Alternative Explanations of Juvenile Firearm Homicide Rates.” Criminology

In recent years, youth firearm homicide has become a topic of great public concern in the United States. However, few macrolevel studies have examined intercity variation in juvenile firearm homicide. In the current study, we address this gap in the literature by examining whether intercity variation in firearm-related homicide rates among black and white juveniles is explained by three prominent structural factors: concentrated disadvantage, racial inequality, and the youth illicit drug market activity. Our findings suggest partial support for the concentrated disadvantage and juvenile drug market explanations of homicide. However, contrary to expectations, these relationships are only significant in models for white juveniles. In recent years, youth firearm homicide has become a topic of great public concern in the United States. This concern is due, in part, to the fact that juvenile firearm homicide rates reached unprecedented levels in the years around 1990 (Fox and Zawitz, 2001). However, although most o