OU Sociology assistant Professor, Dr. Christopher Hill contributed to a recent article in The Oklahoman about youth gun violence. In the wake of recent shootings by adolescents at a high school football game and the state fair, and a reported increase in the number of charges against minors for firearms-related offenses, there is growing concern about youth gun violence. Dr. Hill addressed how the COVID-19 pandemic may have produced a sense of anomie or normlessness among youth, where they "question what are the rules, and the legitimacy of the rules these days.” Dr. Hill also pointed to research regarding transactions in illegal drug markets that have the potential for violent confrontations, and he applied this to marijuana markets in Oklahoma. “Maybe selling marijuana is a form of income for teens in some areas of the state, and those illegal transactions carry that risk of tension and fear, and potential violence.”
October 2023
Dr. Hill Interviewed by The Oklahoman for Article on Youth Gun Violence
