Gun Ownership/Regulation

Slide 1

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People prefer to buy and use guns as they consider it a means to avoid their perception of risk of threats from others; their perceived risk judgment keeps them on alert about other people’s potentially threatening behaviors. People’s individual perception of the risks associated with living in a doubtful neighborhood or living a precarious life further enhances their likeness to arms. In the same way, by owning a gun, people feel safer and more independent about their security. Experiences of victimization compel people to ensure their future safety, and this psychological aspect is the most important factor behind their demand for gun ownership. Gun ownership also confers people with a sense of safety and joyful living; the majority of Americans enjoy having a private gun as it boosts their self-esteem and confers a sense of self-protection. Most importantly, gun ownership has created a culture of self-identity necessary for self-esteem, especially in fragile and ill older adults.

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Gun ownership and its favor is an outcome of psychological mistakes that people make as they misinterpret the surrounding environment as threatening based on their biased judgment and risk assessment. In most cases, this biased assessment is due to their experiences or erroneous communication interpretation. The development of gun culture and gun violence are the direct outcomes of this erroneous perception of personal safety.