Modeling Gun Ownership As A Social Disease
- Laura Layton (Charles W. Stanford Middle School, Hillsborough, NC 27278, USA)
Abstract
Gun violence is a leading cause of premature deaths in the United States. Evidence has linked higher levels of firearm ownership to an increased risk for violent crimes perpetrated with a firearm. Given that connection, the goal of this study is to use mathematical modeling techniques to better understand how different social conditions may impact gun-ownership rate. To accomplish that goal, we formulate an SIR-type model that treats gun ownership like a contagious social disease. The model divides the population into three classes: non-susceptible, susceptible, and gun owners. Model simulations are conducted to assess the effectiveness of different approaches in lowering gun-ownership rate. Model predictions suggest that anti-gun propaganda and stricter gun laws may have a significant effect in reducing the gun ownership population and the prevalence of gun-related violence in North Carolina.
Keywords: SIR model, gun ownership, simulations
How to Cite:
Layton, L., (2017) “Modeling Gun Ownership As A Social Disease”, North Carolina Journal of Mathematics and Statistics 3(1).
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