ABSTRACT
There are many compelling reasons to devote public funds and scholarly effort to obtaining empirical information on the criminal acquisition and use of firearms. Violent crime that threatens or abuses the physical safety of its victims lies at the heart of the crime problem in America. All the social sciences address themselves to an understanding of crime and more general patterns of human behavior that contravene societal values and norms. Sociologists have paid primary attention to the links between socioeconomic status and crime, noting that both victims and offenders are drawn disproportionately from the lower strata of the society. The use of firearms in crime might also alter the costs, since some jurisdictions explicitly enhance sentences for the use of firearms in crime. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
