TY - GEN T1 - Student Perceptions of Faculty, Staff, and Students Carrying Concealed Weapons on Campus T2 - Concealed Weapons on Campus AU - Russ, Jacob AU - Jones, Summer AU - Blankenship, Chastity L. AB - Reactions to gun violence and potential policies regarding gun control are often reactions to fear with schools being the focal point of gun control dialogue. From elementary schools to college campuses, the concealed carry debate exists. Should we allow staff, faculty, and at the college-level, students to carry concealed guns? Students at a private college in Florida were surveyed in regards to their attitudes towards concealed carry and campus safety. We tested a number of hypotheses related to how much time students spend being exposed to media, student perceptions of safety, and their attitudes toward concealed weapons on campus. Results show low levels of support for armed campus safety and concealed weapons for faculty among our student sample. Students were even less comfortable with other students being armed on campus. In support of previous research, conservative students were more likely to believe the media spends too much time covering gun violence. While our results show mixed support of previous research on concealed weapons our findings are particularly interesting due to our close proximity to two recent mass shootings in Florida. KW - mass shootings KW - perceptions of safety KW - concealed weapons PY - 2022 PB - unav JO - Papers & Publications N1 -

Acknowledgements:

A special thanks to Dr. Mick Lynch and the Institutional Review Board at Florida Southern College for providing feedback for the current study.

Author Biography:

Jacob Russ is originally from Brandon, Florida. He is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. He holds an interest in the criminal justice system. Shelly Summer Jones graduated summa cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, Criminology, and Pre-Law from Florida Southern College. She is originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Shelly was a recipient of the 2017 Psychology Department Service Award. Among other clubs, She is a member of the Phi Eta Sigma, and the Psi Chi honor societies. She holds interests in various areas of research related to forensic psychology, and the criminal justice system. In the near future, she intends to pursue a graduate degree. Moreover, She aspires to help contribute to the education of social issues and hopes to make a relevant difference for the better. Dr. Blankenship is an Assistant Professor of Social Science at Florida Southern College. Her research area interests include race, class and gender portrayals within educational media. She is also interested in and writes about a variety of issues within the criminal justice system.

Graduation Date:

May 2019

IS - 1 VL - 7 ER -