Penn Study Asks, Protection or Peril? Gun Possession of Questionable Value in an Assault
OCTOBER 1, 2009
In a first-of its-kind study, Penn epidemiologists found that, on
average, guns did not protect those who possessed them from being shot
in an assault. The study estimated that people with a gun were 4.5
times more likely to be shot in an assault than those not possessing a
gun. The study was released online this month in the American Journal of Public Health. "The study helps resolve the long-standing debate about whether guns are protective or perilous," notes study author Charles C. Branas, PhD, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Senior Scholar, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. "Will possessing a firearm always
safeguard against harm or will it promote a false sense of security?"
Extended coverage can be found in the Penn Medicine news release.
