The Association between Health Risk Factors and Weapon Carrying Behaviors Among School-Aged Children

Purpose: Carrying weapons to school is a threat on students’ safety and life on campus. According to a recent national survey of children in grades 9-12, 4.1% of school-aged children reported carrying a weapon to school at least once in the past 30 days (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016). Additionally, 6.0% of school-aged children described being threatened or injured by a weapon in school at least once during the past year (CDC, 2016). Therefore, it is crucial to test the risk factors associated with weapon carrying behaviors among children. Guided by general strain theory, the present study analyzed the associations between particular health-risk factors (including high-risk behaviors and mental health problems) and weapon carrying behaviors among school-aged children in the United States.

Method: The current study employed a sample of 12,642 school-aged children  from a cross-sectional dataset, the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC), 2009-2010.  Employing a binomial logistic regression, this study explored the likelihood of weapon carrying among school-aged children as predicted by their engagement in health-risk behaviors (i.e., using drugs, alcohol, smoking) and mental health status (i.e., experiencing anger, sadness, nervousness, loneliness).

Results: Of the 12,642 school-aged children, 9.8% carried a weapon to school at least once and 90.2% had never carried a weapon to school. Gender (OR=1.54, p<.01) was positively associated with weapon carrying behaviors among school-aged children. In other words, male students were 1.54 times higher likelihood to carry a weapon to school than female students. Grade (OR=1.50, p<.01) was another significant factor associated with carrying a weapon to school; Students in higher grades were more likely to exhibit weapon carrying behaviors than students in lower grades. Drinking alcohol (OR=1.66, p<.01) and smoking (OR=1.53, p<.05) in the past 30 days were positively associated with weapon carrying. Results demonstrated that student who drank alcohol more frequently experienced 1.66 times higher odds of weapon carrying than those who did not drink alcohol. Also, students who exhibited more smoking behaviors experienced 1.53 times higher odds of weapon carrying than those who did not smoke. Children who had anger problems (OR=1.21, p<.05) was positively associated with weapon carrying behaviors. In other words, students had anger problems were more likely to carry a weapon to school.

Implications & Conclusions: The current study found that anger problems were positively associated with weapon carrying behaviors among school-aged children. Also, the current study highlights links between alcohol use and smoking associated with weapon carrying behaviors among school-aged children who were not legally allowed to use substances. In consonance with existing research, school educators should provide mental health assessments, as well as screenings to detect alcohol use and smoking behaviors in order to identify the risk factors of weapon carrying behaviors among school students. Additionally, school educators should develop school-based interventions to meet the unique treatment needs for students exhibiting weapon carrying behaviors, such as multisystemic therapy to reduce antisocial behaviors, substance abuse, cigarette smoking, and alcohol dependence, as well as cognitive-behavioral therapy to help manage anger and other negative emotions.