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Analysis to determine would college students feel safe when guns were banned
and what could be done to reduce gun violence?

By
Trung Nguyen

For
Breanne Potter
ENG 219-004
UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO

03/04/2016

3560 Stetson ST SW
Los Lunas, NM 87031
03/04/2016

Mr. Manuel Gonzales

County Sheriff's Department
400 Roma NW Albuquerque, NM 87102
Dear Mr. Gonzales:
Here is the report you asked me to analyze how college students attitudes and concerns towards
gun violence on campuses and what could be done to reduce gun violence on college campus.
My recommendation is reduce the right to bear arms and the laws should put more strictly on
gun control.
I based this recommendation on the fact that the rate of death by guns happen in campus and in
society are a lot more than other weapons.
In the course of my research, I was unable to define exactly information from UNM college
students. Simply, because carry and bring guns into school is prohibited in New Mexico. I also
couldnt find the detail data from gun violence in New Mexico campuses, so I used data from
other states.
I would like to give special thanks to Caroline Avila and Nick Romero, besides of helping me
complete my data, their knowledge about gun violence give me a wide perception about it, and
also helped simplify my research.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this research, please feel free and dont hesitate
to contact me in office.
Sincerely,

Trung Nguyen
Trung Nguyen

Table of Contents

Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion

INTRODUCTION

In the recent years, gun violence on college campuses in the United States has been
consider as a significantly serious problem. From the time that the second amendment was
ratified in US, there have been many debates over whether gun laws should be banned, or more
authorized and the options can be done to reduce gun violence from occurring. Most cases of gun
violence are based around college students, teachers, and staffs; the number of deaths from an
opponent with a gun is raising higher every year. One study made was asking opinions college
students and faculty, from 10,661 educator from all fifty states to grasp their attitude about guns
being carried around campus. The result indicate that 31.1% say that they do not feel safe with
gun violence, 72.4% of people are against the option of carrying concealed gun on campus, while
87.8% support this cause so that police officer may be safer, also believing that banning guns
would take away protection, (Guns and School Safety Survey Results). On April 16, 2007, on
Virginia Tech campus, a gunman called as Seung-Hui Cho killed 32, including himself and
injured 25 others. This horrible shooting began early morning, in the dormitories, two students
were killed by the gunman and after few hours, thirty more lives were taken away, including
students, staffs and faculties in a classroom (Johns Hopkins News, 2007). This incident
highlights the observation that gun violence happens frequent and more pitiful.
In the wakening of gun violence shootings happening more regularly at Virginia Tech
and Northern Illinois University, Albuquerque police Department (APD) are considering about

the attitude and concern of college students towards gun violence on the UNM campus. Manuel
Gonzales, a sheriff of APD has asked me to inform on students perception about gun and the
effects of it on their lives as well as how to prevent gun violence in colleges. I spoke to the police
reporters, sponsored by University of New Mexico and APD who do reports based on gun
violence perception of college students.
One of the things that I need to accomplish in this report is to find out concerns from
other students about gun violence on campus, how safe is their college, if they would feel safe if
guns were to be banned and what could be done to reduce gun violence in college campuses. By
doing this, I may increase my understanding and point of view about the consequences of school
violence.
Literature Review
After a few weeks when the gun violence occurred in Virginia Tech, there was a survey
completed by students at the Central Connecticut University about what might be the cause of
gun violence are friendship, depression, poor parental monitoring, bullying, and lack of support.
Besides that, the difference between genders is another reason for having fear for personal safety
(Fallahi, et al., 2009). A report made by a higher-education law states that banning guns in
school will be much better than allowing guns on campuses. During the conflict by gun violence,
there is a low rate of officers or people who have a license to use a gun confidently, which can
causes a high risk for others when a shooting might occur. Massive shootings occurred in
campuses will causes death and injuries for students who happen to be in the wrong place at the
wrong time. (Jesus M. Villahermosa Jr).

The purpose for reducing gun violence in college is to improve school security such as
armed guards or metal detector somewhat similar to the ones used at airports and courthouses.
Also by focusing on the parenting for young people are affected easily by social media or
cultures, they need good education and a good path laid down by parents to prepare them from
any challenges. As well as cutting down the violence in media, for younger viewers and even
older viewers are effected from these, for example: shooting games, and violent movies. These
fictional items and stories have real-world effects on people. (Nicole Saidi, CNN, News)
With many arguments to allow using guns for it says it in the Second Amendment; the
right to bear arms or the stereotype in any story or movie, the good guy is always the hero. These
reasons came up but with not so much visual and factual evidence. However, things are getting
worse, gun violence not also happen around campuses, but it turns out that they are just good
targets for aiming. College students tend to kill themselves and others around the same age range
while handling a gun. If guns were banned, they could not kill themselves as easily and as
quickly. (Grayson, Paul, and Phil Meilman).
METHODS
Primary research

I have limited my primary research following by interviewing students on

the University of New Mexico (UNM) campus.

Im using these questions in my quest for a perfect report:
1) Would college students feel safer if guns were banned? Why or why not?
2) What could be done to reduce gun violence in college?
3) How would you react if you saw a college student with a gun on campus?

First I interviewed a male who is studying Education at the UNM main campus, Nick Romero,
and asked him his opinion about those three questions.
Secondly, I spoke to a female who is currently doing dual credit for high school and attending
classes at UNM, Caroline Avila, she is half Vietnamese Hispanic, who has quite of an effected
to the Asian culture and has a great argument about the gun violence problem.
Following interview, I created a distinct survey: a seven item instrument for thirty student
participants. This survey related to their perception of gun violence on campuses. I posted three
types of questions: factual, forced-choice ratings, yes or no choice, and open-ended questions
which I used for the interview. These questions circle towards: feeling, opinion about gun
violence on campuses, methods of prevent shooting in schools, identification of a responsible
person, and campus safety.
Secondary research
My research topics is highlighted towards gun violence on campuses, the number of
death in colleges cause by gun violence, and arguments about gun safety, such as: Right to
concealed guns on campuses or Gun and Student safety, which agree that banning guns will
make student safer. I mostly used sources from the UNM library, US government sites, and news
websites to find out what could be good and strong arguments for my report.
Limitation
Conceal guns and carry it into campuses is prohibited by New Mexicos law so it is really hard to
give the students a visual feeling about gun experiences in school. There are also many limits in
this research. The number of participant is limited at thirty, and it does not show enough data,
and the lack of standard examining and reliance of this self-report. Moreover, during doing the

survey, there may be some students carelessly filling out the survey or filling it out incorrectly.
Besides that, I did this survey in the Student Union Building, the quality may be reduce for the
possibility of people filling up the survey has less concern about the topic or the difference
between level education, such as graduate students compared to undergraduate students.
RESULT
Primary Research:
There were two studies reported that focus on college students perception of gun
violence. Two studies were found for the purpose of this project. Both of them were identified
with a similar research question; however, there will be two different type of answer, which is
interview and survey.
In the interview, I got a visual arguments from my two friends, Nick and Caroline. First
of all, for the first question, Nick said no, for he feels that this would make the market for illegal
guns grow and people with bad intentions would be the ones who own guns instead of everyday
normal people. People who do not commit crimes would be left without them which could be
used to protect themselves with. For the second question, he recommended more counseling and
support groups on campuses to reduce gun violence. To get a description of the individual and to
seek help from nearby security or law enforcement officers is what he answered for last
questions.
Caroline Avila, She believed that it depends on each situation, guns are a way of safety
and protection, but she feels it would be a much safer environment if guns were banned for it and
would show less violence in a person including a community. She suggest that have a hard
background checks on the students who go to the college would be helpful to reduce gun

violence. (Especially in an open campus for anyone could walk in any time.) If she saw a college
student carrying a gun on the college campus, she would be more cautious and feel not safe at
all. It would make her feel more unsafe rather than being safe and it is hard to study and learn in
a non-safe feeling environment. Also, mass shootings have been a big issue in many places
including schools; therefore, not allowing and banning guns would bring more security for
students.
Following the interview, the survey have been done by 30 participants. The first chart is
mention about what do they do to reduce gun violence on campus and I did list several
options (See Table 1).
Table 1: Step to take security

This is a check all that apply option so one person could choose what they think is the
good option. As it visually shows in the table, it shows that 11 people chose having armed guards
will increase security in campuses and reduce gun violence. 30 out of 30 people chose Polices
for the reason. Only 9 checked to have metal security door checks, 16 chose for doors to be

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locked and up to 25 people chose to increase mental health checks which would happen before a
student applies to any colleges or universities.
The second chart is about students attitude towards gun control whether it is safer or less safe if
guns were banned (See Table 2).
This chart telling that the attitudes and concerns of UNM college student towards banning gun
would make them feel safer or not. There are 7 out of 30 (23%) people agreed with banning guns
would make them feel safer. 17 out 30 disagree (57%), and 6 out 30 (20%) participants said
somewhat.
Table 2: Perception about guns

Do you feel safer if guns were

banned?

20%

23%

Yes
No
Somewhat

57%

Secondary Research:

After mass shooting at Virginia Tech, a survey has taken placed with report 87% said gun
violence is a serious problem, 47% supported tighter control on guns, while 38% of
responders said existing gun law should be changed.

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A report from an FBI Violent Crime in United States in 2011: there are 67.7 percent of
all murders, 41.3 percent of robberies and 21.2 percent of aggravated assaults were
conducted with guns. However, there are more than 128,000 cases of robbery which
involved firearms, which is compared to 24,300 with knives. More than 137,200 cases
aggravated involved firearms, meanwhile, more than 126,800 involved knives and more
than 220,100 involved on other weapons.

After a month from the Sandy Hook massacre, a survey that was answered by teachers
and college students show that 92% of them feel safe in school but only 69% believe their
school feel safe from gun violence. To reduce gun violence, teachers and students in 68%
schools have been asking about how step taken to increase safety since Sandy Hook (see
infographic).

Figure: Step to
increase safety

Another study on a survey with a certain number of participants including students,

faculties and staffs. Few student admitted that they carrying a weapon on campuses; 0.3%
carry a gun, a knife (4.2%), and another type of weapon (2.7%). About 3.3% knew other

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students bringing a gun on campuses, and 2.1% said they saw student with gun on
campus (Fallahi, 2009).

DISCUSSION
What conclusion can I draw from these data? After reviewing the results for the
interview, survey and research; most students, faculties, and staffs agree that gun violence on
campus has become a huge issue since mass shooting in schools have been happening frequently.
In the thinking of reduce or prevent gun violence on campus, students responses show that they
understand how important the role of security and mental health checks really are. Besides that,
students also realize that having hard background check would be helpful to prevent gun
violence. Yet parenting also affecting young adults and strongly involve in their lives.
Nevertheless, research has shown that the high rate of students perception about gun violence
and sense of safety in college. What I have learned in this report is the wide perception of
students about gun violence. Its really interesting, because growing in the armed country, mostly
American students consider that gun seems like an obvious tool needed for protection. In my
opinion I recommended that guns should be banned, this will make me feel safer. After
reviewing the research we can see that the crime involved with guns and number of death are a
lot more than any other weapons. If the guns were banned, the chances of killing others would
reduce as well as the lost. I also recommend that before apply to any colleges or university,

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students should be taken mental health check. Precisely every student needs to have a good
perception about gun violence as well.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, once again, I would recommend that gun should be controlled strictly if even
banning guns. Moreover, student should be get background checked such as mental health check
before applying to any university or colleges. And each student should prepare a good perception
about using gun as well as gun law control.

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Here is the survey questions I used to ask 30 participants and the answers from them.
1) How significant is the effect of gun violence on you?
Very insignificant (0) Somewhat insignificant (4) Somewhat significant (11)

Very

significant (15)
2) Would you feel safer if guns were banned?
(7) Yes

(17) No

(6) Somewhat

3) Do you agree that the university should allow students to carry guns?
Strongly Agree (3)

Agree (5)

Disagree (6)

Strongly Disagree (16)

4) How concerned are you that if you or your friends will be a victim of gun violence on the
campus?
Very unconcerned (0) Somewhat unconcerned (0) Somewhat concerned (4) Very
concerned (26)
5) Do you own a gun

(09) Yes

(21) No

6) What do you do to reduce the chances that you or someone close to you will be a victim
of gun violence on campus? Please check all that apply.
Arm guards (11)

Polices (30)

Metal Security door check (9)

Doors Lock (16)

Increase Mental Health Check (25)

7) How safety of your campus?
Very safety (5) Somewhat safety (14)

Not safety (8) Not safety at all (3)

8) Do you think having armed guards on campus is a good idea?

12 Yes

9) Do you agree that parenting also effect to gun violence in school?

Strongly agree (15)

Agree (13)

Disagree (2)

Strongly Disagree (0)

18 No

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Works Cited
Alishac. "New Mexico Has the Seventh-Worst Rate of Gun Violence in the Country, According
to a New State-by-State Analysis | The New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic
Violence (NMCADV)." New Mexico Has the Seventh-Worst Rate of Gun Violence in the
Country, According to a New State-by-State Analysis | The New Mexico Coalition
Against Domestic Violence (NMCADV). N.p., 13 Apr. 2013. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
"Analysis of School Shootings." EverytownResearch.org. Everytown, 09 Dec. 2014. Web. 29
Feb. 2016.
Klimas, Liz. "Guns and Crime: What the Statistics Really Say and How Theyre Interpreted in
the Debate." The Blaze. N.p., 07 May 2013. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
"School Violence: Data & Statistics." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Oct. 2014. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Grayson, Paul, and Phil Meilman. Guns and Student Safety. Journal of College Student
Psychotherapy July 2013: 175+. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
Glazer, "Gun Control." National Journal 39.17 (2007): 82. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18
Feb. 2016.
Butkus, Renee, and Arlene Weissman. "Internists Attitudes toward Prevention of Firearm
Injury." Annals of Internal Medicine 160.12 (2014): 821-827. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.\
Survey: Do Teachers feel Safer In School?. District Administration 49.4 (2013): 20. Academic
Search Complete. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
Fallahi, Carolyn R., et al. A Survey Of Perceptions Of The Virginia Tech Tragedy. Journal Of
School Violence 8.2 (2009): 120-135. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Mar. 2016.

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