Violence survey results: Have things changed since Columbine?

American history has included mass shootings since as early as July 26, 1764, when a teacher and 10 students were shot dead by four Lenape American Indians in Greencastle. But more recently, people have committed mass shootings within the walls of this nation’s schools.

After the Columbine school shooting in 1999, The Bengal’s Purr asked the students of LHS complete a regarding safety in schools with responses from 951 students. Nearly 20 years later, the current staff of the Purr conducted a survey using the same questions, gathering 240 responses from students and the community.

Survey Question 1: Who should be held responsible for gun-related violence by teens?
1999 Results:
•36.5 percent, teens are responsible
•20.5 percent, parents are responsible
•17.5 percent, society is responsible
•4 percent, the government is responsible

2018 Results:
•33.1 percent, teens are responsible
•32.6 percent, society is responsible
•15.1 percent, the government is responsible

Survey Question 2: Do you think there should be a mandatory waiting period when buying a gun?
•1999 Results: 68 percent said yes, there should be a mandatory waiting period.
•2018 Results: 67.6 percent said yes.

Survey Question 3: Do you know how to shoot a gun?
•1999 Results: 78 percent knew how to shoot a gun.
•2018 Results: 85.5 percent knew how to shoot gun.

Survey Question 4: Do you or your parents own a gun?
•1999 Results: None
•2018 Results: 84.6 percent of people’s parents owned one.

Survey Question 5: Do you think that outlawing all guns would increase or decrease the national crime rate?
•1999 Results: 69 percent said that outlawing guns would increase the national crime rate.
•2018 Results: 68.6 percent said that it would increase the crime rate.

Survey Question 6: Do you think raising children around guns promotes violence?
•1999 Results: 81 percent believe that it does NOT promote violence.
•2018 Results: 88.4 percent said that owning a gun does NOT promote violence.

Survey Question 7: Do you feel that students of Lewiston High School are in a danger of firearm violence?
•1999 Results: 15 percent believed that they were in danger at LHS.
•2018 Results: 43.1 percent said that they do feel like they’re in danger of gun violence at LHS.