Neighborhood Disadvantage and the Protective Moderating Role of School Connectedness on Associations Between Witnessing Community Violence and Gun Carrying Among High School Students: Multilevel Measures

Gun carrying among high school students increases firearm-related harm. There is limited understanding of how neighborhood disadvantage, where youth witness violence, may be associated with gun carrying in school. This study examined how neighborhood disadvantage and witnessing community violence relate to gun carrying and whether school connectedness buffers these effects. Data were drawn from the 2021 district-pooled Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, Gun Violence Archive, American Community Survey, and U.S. Census. The dependent variable was self-reported gun carrying in school. The independent variable was witnessing neighborhood violence. The interactions were neighborhood disadvantage (e.g., violent crime, gun violence, concentrated disadvantage) and witnessing neighborhood violence. The moderator was school connectedness. Multilevel models tested the interactions and the moderator. Witnessing neighborhood violence was associated with increased gun carrying (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.67, p < .001). This association remained significant in areas with higher violent crime (AOR = 1.06), higher gun violence (AOR = 1.03), higher concentrated disadvantage (AOR = 1.02), lower median income (AOR = 1.19), and greater income inequality (AOR = 1.10). School connectedness reduced gun carrying among youth witnessing neighborhood violence (AOR = 0.86, p < .05). The moderation showed that the protective effect of school connectedness remained significant for disadvantaged neighborhoods. Youth who witness neighborhood violence are more likely to carry guns, including those witnessing violence in disadvantaged areas. School connectedness lowers the likelihood of carrying guns among youth who witness neighborhood violence, including those witnessing violence in disadvantaged areas.