The Psychology of Gun Violence : How Smart Choices Can Save Lives

What motivates people to buy guns? To carry them? To use them?

The gun violence crisis in the U.S. claims tens of thousands of lives each year. We need a solution more urgently than ever, yet progress is halted from both sides as they fail to understand one another—while some urge for a ban on guns, others are insistent on retaining their firearms. In Shot!, leading psychologist Dr. Janet Shibley Hyde shows that in order to understand the challenges posed by sensible gun reform legislation, we must first understand the psychology of gun ownership, gun violence, and gun culture in America.

Drawing on her research as a developmental psychologist, Hyde investigates the motivations behind gun use and misuse to transform readers’ understanding of American gun violence and ultimately provide solutions rooted in scientific research. Why is it that more than 98% of mass shooters are boys or men? How do race and racism play a role in shootings and homicides? Is it really true that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people?” Psychology would suggest otherwise, showing that it is both the person and the environment that contribute to violent behaviors despite the implications of this manipulative slogan from the Gun Lobby. Through scientific evidence, psychological research, and cogent analysis, Shot! shows that the key to effective action lies in understanding the motivations behind gun violence and the divide in our culture. Beyond the psychology of offenders themselves, Hyde delves into the psychology behind the Gun Lobby’s tactics in influencing Americans, provides a more accurate understanding of the Second Amendment to explain what kinds of regulations are possible, and offers strategies and interventions rooted in scientific knowledge.

Shot! provides sound psychological insights that will empower readers to take action to reduce gun violence and bolster public health, both in their community and their country.