Survey finds broad, bipartisan support for gun violence prevention policies

Both gun owners and non-gun owners across political lines widely support gun violence prevention policies, a new survey from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions found.

The survey, conducted in January, included nearly 3,000 respondents, a third of whom were gun owners. Of the respondents, 959 were Republicans and 1,419 were Democrats.

Respondents signaled support for a broad array of gun violence prevention policies, including safe storage laws, ownership licensing from local law enforcement, extreme risk protection orders and government funding for violence prevention efforts like social services and conflict mediation.

This survey, and others like it, can inform reporting on gun violence prevention because they gauge the public's understanding and opinion of key policies. Knowing the attitudes of both gun owners and non-gun owners also helps provide an accurate picture of what those two groups think.

Surveys are also good jumping off points for stories because they emphasize the value of interviewing gun owners. Seek out gun owners in your area to find out how they feel about these policies and their overall thoughts on gun violence prevention. Or, if your city or state is considering enacting any of these policies, this survey might help inform the public's perspective on the policy.

Findings

The survey asked participants about their support for several different gun policies.

About 74% of all respondents support laws requiring a person to lock their guns up at home when they're not in use. Roughly 62% of gun owners support that policy, while 81% of non-gun owners do.

Nearly three-quarters of participants (72%) said people should be required to obtain a license from law enforcement before buying a firearm. Just over half of gun owners (61%) agreed with that policy.

Source: National Survey of Gun Policy | Center for Gun Violence Solutions (publichealth.jhu.edu)

There was also broad support for funding and supporting community violence intervention programs that provide social services, outreach and conflict mediation. Overall, 72% of respondents support those programs, and of that, 67% of gun owners and 74% of non-gun owners said they're supportive.

Over three-quarters of respondents support allowing family members, law enforcement and/or health care clinicians to temporarily remove a gun from a loved one at risk of harming themselves or others.

Notably, about 70% of gun owners support extreme risk protection orders.

The vast majority of people surveyed (82%) said they support prohibiting a person subject to a temporary domestic violence protection order from having a gun for the duration of the order.

Less than a quarter of respondents said they support people carrying loaded guns in public without a permit or license. Over one-third of Republicans (36%) and gun owners (37%) support permitless carry.

Recent coverage

The Trace recently reported on another study examining gun owners' thoughts on gun regulation.

The study, commissioned in 2019 not long after the Parkland school shooting, sought to "determine the most effective ways of communicating with the American public about the benefits of firearm ownership," according to The Trace.

The study, titled "Communicating With The American Public About Firearm Ownership," found that Americans supportive of gun ownership could be persuaded to support policies regulating guns, such as background checks, red flag laws and a gun registry.

The study, commissioned by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, involved an online survey that tested the power of 24 pro-gun and 24 anti-gun messages. Over 4,000 Americans responded.

"While the sports shooting industry devotes substantial funding and effort to communications initiatives to boost participation in and support for sport shooting and firearms," the study notes, according to The Trace, "little reliable data exists indicating which messages and communications themes work best."

The findings were never made public, according to The Trace. Yet these findings offer key insights into how gun owners feel about crucial gun laws.