Gun Violence In American Society: Crime, Justice, and Public Policy provides an in-depth, multidisciplinary investigation into one of society’s major social, public health and political concerns—death, injury, and destruction from the use of firearms. Contributors employ a variety of theoretical, methodological, and data analysis frameworks to address different gun violence issues. They explore how gun violence is created and perpetuated in society, as well as the various forms and social contexts in which it appears. The impacts of gun violence on different social groups, communities, and social institutions are also delineated. Moreover, possible solutions to gun violence are presented.

Thoroughly updated and greatly expanded from its original edition, this three-volume set is the go-to comprehensive resource on the legal, social, psychological, political, and public health aspects of guns in American life. The landmark 2002 edition of Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law was acclaimed for helping readers get beyond the sometimes overheated rhetoric and navigate the overwhelming amount of unbiased academic research on gun-related issues. Now, in light of the steady rate of gun violence and several high-profile shooting incidents, this extraordinary three-volume work returns in a timely and thoroughly updated edition. With over 100 new entries, the latest edition of Guns in American Society is the most current resource available on all aspects of the gun issue, including rates of violence, gun control, gun rights, regulations and legislation, court decisions, pro- and anti-gun organizations, gun ownership, hunters and collectors, public opinion toward guns, and much more. With expert contributions from the fields of criminology, history, law, medicine, politics, and social science, it gives students, journalists, policymakers, and researchers a foundation for their own investigations, while helping readers of all kinds make decisions as family members, potential gun owners, and voters.

An in-depth analysis of the folklore surrounding gun use and the state of the debate in today's political climate.

The revised third edition of the landmark Guns in American Society provides an authoritative and objective survey of the history and current state of all gun-related issues and areas of debate in the United States. Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law is a comprehensive and evenhanded three-volume reference resource for understanding all of the political, legal, and cultural factors that have swirled around gun rights and gun control in America, past and present. The encyclopedia draws on a vast array of research in criminology, history, law, medicine, politics, and social science. It covers all aspects of the issue: gun violence, including mass shootings in schools and other public spaces; gun control arguments and organizations; gun rights arguments and organizations; the firearms industry; firearms regulation, legislation, and court decisions; gun subcultures (for example, hunters and collectors); leading opinion-shapers on both sides of the gun debate; technological innovations in firearm manufacturing; various types of firearms, from handguns to assault weapons; and evolving public attitudes toward guns. Many of these entries place the topics in both historical and cross-cultural perspective.

This volume compiles papers from the Young Academics Workshop at the Clash of Realities conferences of 2017 and 2018. The 2017 workshop - Perceiving Video Games - explored the video game medium by focusing on perception and meaning-making processes. The 2018 workshop - Reframing the Violence and Video Games Debate - transcended misleading claims that link video games and violent behavior by offering a range of fresh topical perspectives. From BA students to postdoctoral researchers, the young academics of this anthology stem from a spectrum of backgrounds, including game studies, game design, and phenomenology. This volume also features an entry by renowned psychologist Christopher J. Ferguson.

Guns 360 takes a comprehensive and common-sense approach to some of the most difficult issues facing not only the criminal justice system but also society as a whole: firearm possession, regulation, and control. Issues related to firearms cut across all dimensions of society and are a concern to everyone from the members of the general public, law enforcement, academics, politicians, public health agencies, and the media. An interdisciplinary approach is needed to fully understand and appreciate the many facets related to firearms. Firearm related issues cover more than mere ownership and possession. School shootings and mass shootings dominate the headlines and cause fear for both parents and students. Firearm regulation and licensing divide politicians and create solid one issue voting blocks. Firearms used in domestic violence incidents and weapons owned and used by the mentally ill generate more victims than solutions. The marketing, messaging, and purchasing of firearms are all shaped by a variety of criminological, sociological, and psychological forces used to influence commercial behavior. This book combines academics in the fields of criminology, psychology, sociology, philosophy, economics, communications with practical experts with law enforcement, military, management, forensics, public health, medicine, and digital forensics backgrounds. This multidisciplinary approach has been brought together to further our understanding of firearms and their impacts on our society from every angle. Firearms will never disappear, nor will the controversy surrounding them suddenly turn into agreement. What can be accomplished however is an increased knowledge, understanding, and discussion of the complex topics involved within these debates.

Perhaps never before has an objective, evidence-based review of the intersection between gun violence and mental illness been more sorely needed or more timely. Gun Violence and Mental Illness, written by a multidisciplinary roster of authors who are leaders in the fields of mental health, public health, and public policy, is a practical guide to the issues surrounding the relation between firearms deaths and mental illness. Tragic mass shootings that capture headlines reinforce the mistaken beliefs that people with mental illness are violent and responsible for much of the gun violence in the United States. This misconception stigmatizes individuals with mental illness and distracts us from the awareness that approximately 65% of all firearm deaths each year are suicides. This book is an apolitical exploration of the misperceptions and realities that attend gun violence and mental illness. The authors frame both pressing social issues as public health problems subject to a variety of interventions on individual and collective levels, including utilization of a novel perspective: evidence-based interventions focusing on assessments and indicators of dangerousness, with or without indications of mental illness. Reader-friendly, well-structured, and accessible to professional and lay audiences, the book: * Reviews the epidemiology of gun violence and its relationship to mental illness, exploring what we know about those who perpetrate mass shootings and school shootings. * Examines the current legal provisions for prohibiting access to firearms for those with mental illness and whether these provisions and new mandated reporting interventions are effective or whether they reinforce negative stereotypes associated with mental illness. * Discusses the issues raised in accessing mental health treatment in regard to diminished treatment resources, barriers to access, and involuntary commitment.* Explores novel interventions for addressing these issues from a multilevel and multidisciplinary public health perspective that does not stigmatize people with mental illness. This includes reviews of suicide risk assessment; increasing treatment engagement; legal, social, and psychiatric means of restricting access to firearms when people are in crisis; and, when appropriate, restoration of firearm rights. Mental health clinicians and trainees will especially appreciate the risk assessment strategies presented here, and mental health, public health, and public policy researchers will find Gun Violence and Mental Illness a thoughtful and thought-provoking volume that eschews sensationalism and embraces serious scholarship.

Praise for the First Edition: “There is a plethora of policy books on the market, but none illustrate the steps in the policy process better than this one. The high caliber editors and contributors, all of whom have been involved in policy work, bring years of experience to illustrate the key points...This outstanding resource will help motivate many more nurses to get involved in the policy process”...Score: 93 - 4 Stars! --Doody's Medical Reviews Written by distinguished nurse leaders with expertise in policy, practice, education, and research, this book is a practical “how-to” guide written to help advanced students and nurse leaders develop health policy competencies to advocate for patients from the bedside to the larger political arena. Co-published with the American Nurses Association, the book examines the pivotal role of nurses involved in health policy, making it an essential resource for nurses pursuing advanced education and desiring to enhance their expertise in making policy and facilitating its change. The book addresses recent changes impacting healthcare and many other topics including information on the increased need for primary care providers, how full practice authority has been implemented in different states, the need for an enhanced RN role in ambulatory care, and ongoing changes to the Affordable Care Act. This edition describes the distinct role of nurses impacting policies on the front lines of healthcare. Current issues with detailed examples of how nurses can exert influence at local, state, national, and global levels at each step of the policymaking process are presented. This second edition emphasizes collaboration within healthcare institutions, professional organizations, and government for the development of policies from bedside to boardroom. Using descriptive cases, the book delves into the growing role of nurses in elected and appointed office. The book clarifies the process of identifying issues that need a policy solution. A timely contribution focuses on evaluating policy sources, such as “Fake News.” It stresses how evidence must be used to strengthen policy initiatives. Woven throughout are essential themes basic to healthcare: ethics, leadership, safety, care access, and quality of care. New to the Second Edition: Revised chapters featuring inspirational, motivational, and practical stories representing different steps of the policy process A new chapter, “Valuing Global Realities for Health Policy,” emphasizing issues that unite nurses globally and the role of nurses as global citizens Expanded content on steps of policy analysis and evaluating evidence to support policy An appraisal and evaluation of converged media, including “Fake News” Guidance on working with the ongoing evolution of the Affordable Care Act An examination of health in all policies to improve community and population health Added focus on work environments as part of achieving the Quadruple Aim of healthcare The latest developments in advanced practice registered nurse regulation Key Features: Delineates the steps, strategies, and competencies needed for health policy advocacy in organizational, educational, and political settings Provides perspective relevant to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing doctor of nursing practice (DNP) Essentials Includes real world examples of policymaking on the frontlines of clinical practice Provides exemplars from high profile national and international nursing policy leaders Examines how nurses are leaders in a variety of policy arenas Illustrates policies to address social and economic inequities impacting health Describes how evidence is used to advance policy

Recent high-profile lawsuits involving cigarettes, guns, breast implants, and other products have created new frictions between litigation and regulation. Increasingly, litigation is being used as a financial lever to force companies to accept negotiated regulatory policies—policies that invariably involve less public input and accountability than those arising from government regulation. The process not only usurps the traditional governmental authority for regulation, but also shifts the locus of establishing tax policy from the legislature to the parties involved in the litigation. Citizen interests are not explicitly represented and there is no mechanism to ensure that these outcomes are in society's best interests. By focusing on case studies involving the tobacco industry, guns, lead paint, breast implants, and health maintenance organizations, the contributors to this volume collectively shed light on the likely consequences of regulation through litigation for insurance markets and society at large. They analyze the ramifications of large-scale lawsuits, mass torts, and class actions for the insurance market, and advocate increased public scrutiny of attorney reimbursement and a competitive bidding process for all lawsuits involving government entities as the plaintiffs.