Perceived neighborhood crime and gun carrying behavior: examining the role of a history of traumatic brain injury.

Abstract

Background: Individuals living in high crime neighborhoods are more likely to carry a firearm. Members of these communities are also more likely to experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in their lifetime, which is a common correlate of hypervigilance and aggression. The current study evaluates the independent and interactive effects of TBI on perceived levels of neighborhood crime and gun carrying.

Methods: Data from 2015 to 2017 from a longitudinal ethnically diverse sample of adolescents and young adults are analyzed (Ns = 600-734). Multivariate logistic regression models are estimated to evaluate associations between perceived levels of neighborhood crime, TBI, gun carrying, and threatening another person with a gun.

Results: Perceived neighborhood crime is associated with higher odds of carrying a gun (AOR = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.03-1.12). Participants with a history of TBI due specifically to physical violence are twice as likely to report carrying (AOR = 2.94; 95% CI = 1.51-6.47), while participants with a history of TBI due to a nearby explosion are over seven times as likely (AOR = 7.38; 95% CI = 2.23-21.93). TBI due to a nearby explosion is associated with a six-fold increase in the odds of threatening another person with a gun (AOR = 6.60; 95% CI = 1.47-29.64).

Conclusions: TBI should be considered in gun violence prevention/intervention programming efforts. Information gleaned from the cause of TBI can help to tailor intervention strategies to individuals growing up in neighborhoods where they feel unsafe.