Gun acquisition and use by juveniles: a phenomenological approach

This dissertation examines why and how juvenile males acquire illegal guns, as well as how they use guns, and their feelings about gun violence. Gun violence by juveniles inflicts serious harm on victims, and often destroys the lives of the offenders themselves. Yet little is known about the social and personal circumstances surrounding a youth’s first encounters with firearms, or how these events affect subsequent criminal activity. This project explored how these young men viewed themselves, their worlds, and the role of guns in their lives, through interviews with offenders in the custody of the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission. I used a phenomenological approach intended to elicit detailed descriptions that would make possible the construction of theory grounded in the realities and perceptions of the youth themselves. I found that the participants in this study viewed guns as serving multiple purposes in their lives. The young men faced many social and economic challenges, and often considered gun possession and use to be adaptive responses to their circumstances. The primary pathway to gun acquisition described by participants was through entry into illegal street activities that exposed the young men to a perceived increased risk of violent victimization, beyond that which pervaded their neighborhoods as a whole. While participants generally reported their initial gun acquisition to be for purposes of protection or defense, many eventually exploited the gun’s potential as a weapon of aggression, particularly for armed robbery, enforcing control over drug-selling territory, or street fighting. Money was among the stated motivations for at least some of the illegal activities of virtually all participants. Many expressed a desire to provide for their own needs and wants in order to decrease the financial burden on their struggling mothers. Participants viewed guns as useful for protection, for economic gain, for acquiring or maintaining respect, for feeling powerful, and for enjoyment as consumer objects. My hope is that insights gained through this research might advance prevention, intervention, and rehabilitation efforts.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical referencesIncludes vitaby Diane Maran