Gun Violence

The most dangerous and widespread violence in the modern world relates to crimes committed against the life and health of people with the use of cold weapons, especially firearms. In terms of their killing effects and hidden methods of use, the latter and explosive devices can be inferior only to chemical, bacteriological, and radiation impacts on people. However, these substances are less accessible, more protected, and their distribution is not only prosecuted under national laws, but also international ones, while firearms are very affordable and common among civilians in many countries (Spitzer, 2017). Therefore, armed violence is an acute problem in many countries, from which many people die every year and which needs a set of measures to prevent it.

The Scope of the Problem and People Affected

Almost all people without exception are at risk of becoming victims of armed violence around the world. For example, according to the research by Worrell (2014), in the USA, where the problem is the most acute as compared to many other developed countries, approximately in 55% of cases, African Americans become victims of gun violence, 25% are white people of non-Spanish origin, and 20% are Hispanic. Also, the age of victims varies greatly. Current trends show that they are not only adults, but also children. Therefore, one can say that this problem does not apply to a specific group of people, but to the entire population.

In the United States, considering all age groups, for every resident, there is approximately one weapon and a large number of crimes committed with the use of guns. “In 2012, there were 32,288 deaths from firearm violence in the United States, including 11,622 homicides and 20,666 suicides” (Wintemute, 2014, p. 7). It provides for accounting for the use of firearms only when robberies and attacks are committed. In monthly reports on intentional and reckless killings, there are also data on the use of firearms (Wintemute, 2014). When taking into account different types of criminal acts, the information about weapons is not complete. However, even with these limited data, one can judge the dynamics of crimes with the use of firearms.

Ways in Which the Problem Occurs

The problem of armed violence occurs in all countries of the world, where the population can gain access to arms by any means. In the USA, almost every citizen can get access to weapons and carry it with him or her in many states. Thus, given the fact that the number of weapons is almost equal to that of citizens, the problem becomes serious. Recent trends also show that armed violence takes place almost everywhere. According to Gallman (2017), most often perpetrators of shootings are gang members, criminals, repeat offenders, or robbers. However, in many cases, armed violence took place even in schools.

It is possible to say that this problem appears due to free access to weapons. According to some reports, in the hands of U.S. citizens, there are about 230 million firearms, including 75-80 million pistols and revolvers (Hawdon, Agnich, Wood, & Ryan, 2015). About 60-65 million people own these weapons. According to Hawdon et al. (2015), “There are about 120 thousand illegal firearms in the country and only 11% of gun owners used it for self-defense” (p. 225). In 31 states, there are laws that allow covert carrying of weapons by law-abiding citizens. According to Spitzer (2017), 0.2% of available firearms are used annually for criminal purposes, being a small share. The given data correspond approximately to recorded indicators. Assessing these figures, it should be remembered that the free carrying of weapons has grown in the United States, and the country’s population has a large positive and negative experience of owning it. However, problems with the use of firearms remain particularly relevant. According to independent information and official analysts from the United States, there are almost 20 times more armed robberies in the country than in Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Australia, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Japan, and New Zealand combined (Spitzer, 2017). No European country has such a proportion of firearm crimes, and there are no such widespread mass serial killings as in the United States.

The problem is also exacerbated by the presence of black arms markets, where criminals can easily buy weapons illegally. The legitimate fear of the emergence of a “black” market for short-barreled weapons played a significant role in the decision to open it legally. According to Wintemute (2013), the practice of arms trade, especially in the United States, shows that when a legal market appears, up to 10-20% of the market share will always be held by the black market. Even in the USA, with all preventive measures taken, illegal sales still generate from 10 to 15% of the total turnover of short-barreled weapons (Wintemute, 2013). In order to prevent its occurrence and, all the more, expansion, the police must work very proactively in the country.

Actions to Solve the Problem and Their Effectiveness

U.S. authorities are constantly fighting against armed violence. The most common measures that have been introduced since the tendency of gun violence in schools appeared are surveillance cameras, stationary and hand-held metal detectors, fencing around schools, introduction of compulsory school uniforms, and access control (Gabor, 2016). The organization of exercises for the development of the algorithm of actions, where doors of classrooms and other rooms are locked as quickly as possible, is also one of the most important measures for preventing shootings. In many places in the United States, professional armed guards have appeared in schools. According to the profile of the national association, about ten thousand people have already engaged in this work throughout the country. On December 13, 2013, one of these guards prevented a large-scale crime, involving the use of firearms at Arapahoe High School near Denver, although an 18-year-old killer shot one of the students lethally (Gabor, 2016). So, one can see that even one prevention of gun violence in schools can be considered a sign that measures that have been introduced are effective.

One more effective way to reduce the level of armed violence is the law on the waiting period. It usually means a delay between the time of purchase and the immediate delivery of the weapon (Luca, Malhotra, & Poliquin, 2017). This period usually lasts from two to ten days. With this measure, it is possible to prevent a large number of cases of armed violence since during the waiting period, a person ceases to be guided by emotions, such as anger or thirst for revenge. Moreover, according to Luca et al. (2017), “Waiting periods reduce gun homicides by roughly 17%” (p. 12164). One of the preventive measures from gun violence is to make gun holders have a special lock device for weapons in order to prevent it from stealing or being taken by someone from family members. According to Haynes (2016) weapons must be kept in special safes, and the buyer must provide evidence that they will be stored in a government-approved blocking device and that no one except the owner will be able to access them. So, the waiting period is one more effective tool in order to reduce the gun violence level, which should be introduced in every state and country.

Another effective measure to reduce armed violence, especially against massacres, which has not yet been introduced, can be a ban on the purchase of assault weapons. The latter are often used to shoot at a large number of people. According to Briggs (2017) ordinary citizens should not be able to acquire machine guns and assault weapons because they represent too much danger. If they are not on sale, there will be an opportunity to avoid a large number of mass executions.

So, the effectiveness of the waiting period for preventing gun violence is proved by statistical data on the number of gun violence cases. As it has been mentioned above, this law reduces such cases by approximately 17% (Luca et al., 2017). Better security in schools and such preventive measures as metal detectors and armed guards enable to prevent shootings. It has been proven by one of the successful prevention cases.

Police Response to the Problem

One of the possible and simplest preventive measures to reduce the level of armed violence by the police may be additional control in particularly dangerous areas and territories. Each year, the police collect a large amount of statistical information on all types of crimes (Gallman, 2017). Thus, they can determine in which territories the problem of armed violence is the most acute. So, the police can strengthen control in these places and allocate a greater number of police officers and patrol cars to prevent shooting in the most dangerous areas. In addition to this method, it is possible to strengthen control over citizens representing the greatest threat of using armed violence, such as gang members, early-released criminals, and recidivists. The police must also tightly control the black market, since mainly weapons for planned crimes are bought there. Thus, it is another reason for the high level of armed violence, which must be completely closed.

Conclusion

It is clear that in spite of the measures introduced to prevent armed violence, the problem is still acute and unresolved. States must tighten the process of acquiring weapons and regulate the market more rigidly. Since there is a direct correlation between the number of guns in the hands of the population and the level of armed violence, it is necessary to greatly reduce the former on the market. Moreover, the police should take several measures on especially dangerous territories and strictly control potentially dangerous citizens.

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