Do countries that have outlawed guns have more gun violence or less?

Question

In countries where it is not a right to carry a gun, do they have a higher rate of gun related crime, or a lower rate? PLease provide a source if possible

sorry, more or less than countries who allow gun ownership

I have asked three very different questions about the gun laws. i do not need some canned response of 'people kill people', I would like an answer to the question...if you have one. Thanks

Answer 1

Far less - Here is some statistics;

Answer 2

We need to stop looking at the guns and start looking at the culture of violence. This country was formed on acts of violence. When Japan was going through their industrialization period they hired experts from all around the world, Dutch bankers, Italian craftsmen, English litigators, and from America they hired warriors. We are a violent culture, in most aspects that is bad in some ways it is good. It would be nearly impossible for a foreign power to successfully invade this nation, our citizenry is too well armed and too ready to use those arms. That is a good thing. But our kids playing video games like Vice City and the like and the violence they see in our media, that is perpetuating this cycle of violence.

It really doesn't matter what tool they use its all the same.

As to this Korean national killing a bunch of kids, there is unfortunately not much we could have done to prevent that. He should have never been sold the guns and someone will pay for that, that's how laws work. And if the other kids and teachers had been carrying guns a lot fewer people would have died.

Answer 3

I think each country's propensity for cultural violence has a large effect on whether outlawing guns would be an effective measure. (let me add that cultural violence is not based on ethnicity but rather an extremely complex combination of socio-economic, educational, history, political dissent, "you name it - add it here" factors that vary greatly from country to country.) Relatively peaceul countries that enacted a gun ban would have little change in violence because the problem wasn't there in the first place. However, place a gun ban in countries that have a high rate of violence (paired with a lower respect for life) and you'll more likely see an increase in gun violence because:

1. those that break the law will find the means to get a gun, or still have one because they never reported having a gun in the first place (govt. can't collect what was never reported);

2. those that obey the law won't have an equal means to defend themselves; and

3. by removing firearms from law-abiding citizens, you eliminate the violence-reducing factor of guns. Criminals avoid homes or people who carry or are in possession of firearms. Criminals do *not* want to get hurt!

Sorry I digressed. Back to the gun ban: Jamaica is a great example. They enacted a total gun ban and their armed homicide rate dramatically increased. And how well have gun restrictions worked in Washington D.C.? Mexico?

Factor in culture as a variable and it might get interesting as to how effective a gun ban might be.

Answer 4

Statistics and number is one thing, but how and why people got killed is another.

In countries where guns are not allowed, sure, people got killed too, probably at the same ratio, but these are typically
targeted victims. No where else do you see such mass slaughters that has been repeatedly replayed in the US.

If you ban gun in the US, crime fatality ratio probably won't change because only a very small amount of it belongs to
the case of mass slaughters as we see in VT.

So looking at the ratio won't give you any answer and it is
the wrong direction.

But banning guns certainly will dramatically cut down these
specific senseless shooting. Don't look at the ratio, look at how many lives you could have saved.

People become insane from time to time. Without gun their threat to the innocents is much more limited.

Answer 5

Depends on the country. Some countries have more violence than others - some have few guns and lots of violence, some many guns and lots of violence, and some many guns and little violence.

In nations that have successfully banned guns, rates of violence don't really go down, but the weapons used are guns less often. Since it takes a little more effort to beat an unarmed vicitm to death with a club than to shoot him, that may at least reduce the lethality of said violence. OTOH, in some places where guns can be legally carried (even concealed) by citizens, the overall rate of crime is lower, even though 'gun violence' (which includes shootings in self defense) may be higher.

Ultimately, though, what drives violent crime isn't the availability of weapons, but the motivations of the criminals.

Answer 6

Most have less, but also have MANY fewer guns. (However, Mexico, for example, has very strict laws, and a great deal of violence.) Here there are over a half million guns legally out there, to say nothing of those illegally out there. Gun bans would only impact legitimate ownership.

And studies in STATES that have put right to carry concealed guns (after background checks) into place have had a drop in violent crimes.

Think about it. That guy at VT knew there was a rule against guns on campus and knew the students would be unarmed while on campus, at least. Would he have been stopped sooner, particularly given that he had an hour between attacks, if other students and faculty had had guns? Would he have even attempted his plan if he knew others would have guns and might shoot him as soon as he started shooting?

Answer 7

I would be more interested in finding per capita violence rates on the US versus other countries that allow gun control... I'm convinced it's something in our society and not just having the guns themselves.... I mean ... what part of reality is a person failing to contact with that would cause them to do such horrible things?

Answer 8

i am sure the gun related crime is lower. it has to do with the gun owner, not the gun. i have three guns and i have yet to kill anyone. i think it is more a mental health issue. people want to settle things with violence and not their words or fist. they are cowards who know of no other way. they don't want to be wrong or get their buts kick, the honorable way of doing things.

Answer 9

There was just a story on this in yahoo news and it says that South Korea bans its citizens from owning handguns and there are no reported school shootings or shooting rampages...the only report of mass violence was by that of a south Korean soldier, that had been heckled and pressured by his superiors, fragging fellow soldiers, killing eight. So I would say yes..less violence when guns are banned, does this mean I believe in banning guns..not neccessarily, you would have to do it worldwide with a country as hated as ours...

Answer 10

Firearms are 100% ILLEGAL in Mexico. Mexican drug gangs and other criminals are the only ones with guns ourside of the military and law enforcement. To say the very least, Mexico has a big problem with guns, as they terrorize society much much worse than here.

Answer 11

In countries where gun ownership is banned, it is usually a censorship nation. Look at Australia, Japan, England and China.