Defensive Gun Use
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Over the past decade, a number of researchers have conducted studies to
measure the prevalence of defensive gun use in the population. However,
disagreement over the definition of defensive gun use and uncertainty over the
accuracy of survey responses to sensitive questions and the methods of data
collection have resulted in estimated prevalence rates that differ by a factor
of 20 or more. These differences in the estimated prevalence rates indicate
either that each survey is measuring something different or that some or
most of them are in error. Accurate measurement on the extent of defensive
gun use is the first step for beginning serious dialogue on the efficacy of
defensive gun use at preventing injury and crime.
For such measurement, the committee recommends that a research program
be established to (1) clearly define and understand what is being measured,
(2) understand inaccurate response in the national gun use surveys,
and (3) apply known methods or develop new methods to reduce reporting
errors to the extent possible. A substantial research literature on reporting
errors in other contexts, as well as well-established survey sampling methods,
can and should be brought to bear to evaluate these response problems.