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Gun Policy Research Essays

The Gun Policy in America initiative produced detailed reviews describing what is and isn't known about the effects of gun policies. These essays summarize the available evidence on other gun policy topics that are frequently discussed—such as the lessons from other countries that have enacted restrictive gun policies, the definition of mass shooting, the relationship between mental health care access and suicide, and the challenges faced by researchers seeking to better understand gun policies and gun use.

Effects of Widespread Gun Availability

Gun Violence Disparities

Do State Firearm Laws Affect Racial and Ethnic Groups Differently?
Despite growing evidence that some gun laws may reduce firearm deaths and injuries, we know very little about whether these laws have differing effects on people of different racial and ethnic groups.

Gun Violence Reduction Strategies

Research Challenges

Trends in Mass Shootings

Mass Shootings in the United States
There is no standard definition of what constitutes a mass shooting. Media outlets, academic researchers, and law enforcement agencies frequently use different definitions when discussing mass shootings, leading to different assessments of the frequency with which mass shootings occur and about whether mass shootings are more common now than they were a decade or two ago.