Firearm Legislation and Firearm Violence Across Space and Time, United States, 1970-2012 (ICPSR 36688)
These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.
The study constructed a comprehensive, longitudinal dataset of all counties nested within U.S. States from 1970 to 2012. The study's main purpose was to facilitate research that would further understanding on firearm legislation and its impacts on violence. This comprehensive data collection effort included information on firearm legislation implemented across U.S. States over time in combination with multiple measures of firearm-related violence and injury. Moreover, to better understand the conditions under which firearm legislation is more or less effective, incorporation of county characteristics allowed for examination of whether the effectiveness of state-level firearm legislation depends upon particular characteristics of counties. The researchers conducted a secondary analysis utilizing a variety of archived external government and census sources.
The Study's Dataset Include two Stata Files:
- CJRC_firearms_research.dta (95 Variables, 129,027 Cases)
- state_law_data.dta (19 Variables, 2,168 Cases)
Investigating Root Causes of School Violence: A Case-Control Study of School Violence Offenders, Non-School Youth Violence Offenders, and Non-Offending Youths, United States, 1990-2020 (ICPSR 39020)
This study investigated root causes of school shootings by using a case-control methodology to compare 157 adolescent school shooters (cases) to samples of two key comparison groups: 157 non-school adolescent shooting offenders and 157 non-offending youths who attended the same school as the school shooter (controls) in the United States between 1990 and 2020 (overall n=471). Specifically, the researchers compared:
- Adolescent school shooters who committed shootings both fatal and non-fatal to adolescents who committed shootings both fatal and non-fatal outside school grounds in the community.
- Adolescent school shooters who committed homicide to adolescents who committed shooting homicides outside school grounds in the community.
- Adolescent school shooters who caused non-fatal injuries to adolescents who committed non-fatal shootings with injuries outside school grounds in the community.
- Adolescent school shooters to non-offending students from the same school.
All groups were compared on items theorized to be risk and protective factors to crime based on major criminology theories, such as social learning, general strain, social control, bio-social, life course, and psychology. Building upon the methodology used in The American School Shooting Study (TASSS), this study relied on open-source, content analysis research methods to obtain all publicly available information on the sampled individuals. Files were collected from over 60 databases, major search engines, and archival resources, which were then reviewed and coded by the research team for evidence of risk and protective factors.
Lone Offender Terrorists and Mass Murderers in the United States between 1990 and 2013 (ICPSR 36314)
The study examines the behavioral underpinnings of three types of United States-based offenders: solo terrorists, lone-actor terrorists, and individuals who engage in mass casualty violence but lack an ideological motivation (aka mass murderers). In particular, the researchers compare the developmental, antecedent behavioral, and ideological factors that crystallize within the offender and are later expressed behaviorally via an attack.
The data address the following research questions: What are the similarities and differences between lone actor terrorists and solo mass murderers, in terms of sociodemographic characteristics and behavioral traits prior to, during, and after their attack? Can risk factors associated with delinquency and criminal offenses also help predict low-likelihood, high impact events such as lone actor terrorist attacks and mass murders? Do these factors remain the same over time?
To complete the research objectives, the researchers used an open source methodological design, relying solely on text materials available within the public domain. Data were coded and then statistically analyzed using bivariate and multivariate tests. The sample (n = 186) was limited to United States-based offenders who operated between 1990 and 2013 and were identifiable through publicly available materials.