Working Paper: NBER ID: w25209
Authors: D. Mark Anderson; Joseph J. Sabia; Erdal Tekin
Abstract: Debate over safe-storage gun regulations has captured public attention in the aftermath of several high-profile shootings committed by minors. Whether these laws actually decrease youth gun violence, however, is an unanswered question. Using data from the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Reports for the period 1985-2013, this study is the first to estimate the relationship between child access prevention (CAP) laws and firearm-related homicides committed by juveniles. Our results suggest that CAP laws are associated with a 19 percent reduction in juvenile firearm-related homicides. The estimated effect is stronger among whites than blacks and is driven by states enforcing the strictest safe-storage standard. We find no evidence that CAP laws are associated with firearm-related homicides committed by adults or with non-firearm-related homicides committed by juveniles, suggesting that the observed relationship between CAP laws and juvenile firearm-related homicides is causal.
Keywords: child access prevention laws; juvenile homicides; firearm-related homicides; gun control; public policy
JEL Codes: H7; K4
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| CAP laws (K20) | juvenile firearm-related homicides (J13) |
| CAP laws (K20) | juvenile firearm-related homicides (stronger effect among white juveniles) (I12) |
| CAP laws (strictest negligent storage standards) (K13) | juvenile firearm-related homicides (J13) |
| CAP laws (K20) | adult firearm-related homicides (J12) |
| CAP laws (K20) | non-firearm-related homicides committed by juveniles (K42) |