Study of young African American men in US cities finds negative perspectives of community, few opportunities

Research has documented the many ways individuals’ environments (e.g., community, neighborhood) affect their health. In a new study on gun ownership, researchers surveyed young African American men who lived in high-crime, high-violence cities to better understand their perception of their environment and its impact on community violence. Respondents described their cities negatively, with few opportunities and as places where they felt they had to own a gun to survive, which can perpetuate community violence.

The study, published in the Delaware Journal of Public Health, was conducted by researchers at Texas Southern University (TSU), Delaware State University, Coppin State University, Jackson State University, and Thurgood Marshall College.

“Most studies have focused on individual factors to explain criminal activity and health outcomes,” says Howard Henderson, professor of justice administration and director of the Center for Justice Research at Texas Southern University, who coauthored the study. “We focused on young African American men’s perceptions of their cities, their explanations of violence, and their perceived contribution to the level of violence.”

The researchers analyzed four cities with high levels of crime and violence: Wilmington, DE; Baltimore, MD; Jackson, MS; and Houston, TX. First, they examined characteristics of each city, finding that environmental factors (e.g., population density) were statistically significant in explaining rates of violent crime but not in explaining rates of property crime.

Then they interviewed nearly 400 African American 15- to 24-year-old men (about 100 in each city) who owned or had recently owned a gun. The interviews focused on the following broad themes: 1) background (race, ethnicity, age, family, housing); 2) personality, influences, and life goals; 3) school, employment, and income; 4) arrest and justice system experience; 5) gun exposure and possession; and 6) respondents’ views on guns, violence, and the city.

In all four cities, most men characterized their communities pejoratively. In Wilmington, 86% of respondents described the city negatively, with 74% using only negative terms. Many characterized the city as “murder town,” “treacherous,” “crazy,” “chaotic,” and “a war zone.”

When asked why there was so much violence in their communities, most respondents cited multiple factors, chief among them negative influences (e.g., music, social media, peers) and lack of socialization (e.g., absent parents, no role models). In Wilmington, more than half of respondents said “beefing”—or hating—on social media fueled violence.

Few respondents reported that their communities had good opportunities (e.g., sports, school, jobs). In Wilmington, fewer than 12% of respondents said there were positive opportunities; none named specific programs or services.

The young men surveyed said they possessed guns because it was necessary to do so to survive in their environment. All knew where they could easily obtain a gun and two-thirds of the men in the four cities acknowledged that they currently owned a gun. Many were introduced to guns at an early age (i.e., before age 15, some as young as 10), typically by friends or family, but few had received any training.

Respondents’ negative perceptions of their cities influenced their decisions to own guns, suggest the study’s authors. But few respondents acknowledged their contribution to violence because they said they had not killed anyone; some said they owned guns for protection, not to hurt others.

“In crafting and implementing interventions, our findings underscore the importance of seeking out and responding to the experiences of those most likely to be the victims and perpetrators of community violence,” explains Dorothy Dillard, director of the Center for Neighborhood Revitalization and Research at Delaware State University, who led the study. “As with any other public health issue, not only does place matter, but perception of place also matters.”