Weapon carrying among black adolescents: a social network perspective.
OBJECTIVE
This report describes the salience of social networks to the phenomena of adolescent weapon carrying.


METHODS
A random-walk network sampling design was used to survey 113 adolescents about topics, including weapon carrying.


RESULTS
In a probability sample of 12- to 15-year-olds, 20.9% reported ever carrying a weapon. Carriers were eight times as likely as noncarriers to report weapon carrying by an older associate, and 19 times as likely to report weapon carrying by a peer. A significant dose-response effect was present.


CONCLUSIONS
This evidence supports the interpretation that modeling of weapon carrying by personal network members is important for its initiation and maintenance in adolescence.
Myers
G P
GP
Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga 30310-1495, USA.
McGrady
G A
GA
Marrow
C
C
Mueller
C W
CW
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012944:Social Support