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Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Interesting Claims

 I am not entirely sure of their methodology.  The article Psychopathy, gun carrying, and firearm violence.  The abstract claims:

Firearm violence was positively related to the affective and antisocial facets of psychopathy. Whereas gun carrying without a concealed permit and defensive gun use were associated with only the antisocial facet. Gun carrying with a concealed permit was not related to any of the facets. Conclusion: These findings build on existing research on psychopathy and gun carrying among youth, suggesting that examining the facets of psychopathy can contribute to our understanding of the individual-level risk of gun violence among adults. The results also enhance the nuanced exploration of psychopathy’s role in different aspects of gun behavior, providing valuable insight into important risk factors to target during the intervention. 

This surprises me not in the least.  However, the article that led me to it apparently has access to the article and contains this curious explanation of the surveyed population: 

The study was conducted using a sample of 343 adult participants who had been treated for violent injuries at a trauma center in Virginia. These individuals, ranging in age from 18 to 75, were recruited because they were considered to be at high risk for future violence. The majority of participants were male (74%) and identified as Black or African American (65%). All participants completed a series of interviews and self-report surveys to assess their psychopathic traits and gun-related behaviors.

Without question, violent criminals are also disproportionately victims as well.  I am just skeptical that you can assume victims are a meaningful match for the victimizers. 

1 comment:

  1. "... They were considered to be at high risk for future violence." Without knowing more of the methodology, that sounds a lot like the future crime system in Minority Report

    Also 343 adults at a trauma center in VA does not strike me as a particularly large or random sample.

    And while "carrying without a license" might have been a meaningful category prior to Constitutional Carry, that no longer qualifies as a crime in a lot of places - all other things being equal. It has been 2 years since that law was passed in Ohio.

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