Gun/play

How do teens feel about guns? "Do we really know what draws some young people to a life of guns and violence?" Via CrimProf Blog, "Bernard Harcourt recounts in-depth interviews with youths detained at an all-male correctional facility, exploring how they talk about guns and what meanings they ascribe to them," in his new book Language of the Gun: Youth, Crime, and Public Policy.

Listen to a radio interview here.

I know how one of my young clients feels about guns - he loves them! And he was quite open about telling everyone. He's doing one year now, a small sweet-faced violent kid.

Update: via the book's publisher, the University of Chicago Law School faculty blog has more information, including links to Powerpoint, mp3 and podcast of Professor Harcourt's earlier talk on kids and guns, including these quotes from boys aged 12 - 17:

“If you’re out there and you don't have a strap, you're going to get killed.” “I had me two baby 9's. I fell in love with those. They look beautiful to me.” “I like to reload bullet shells.” “You feel powerful when you have a gun. You get respect.” “I love guns. Hell yeah, I love guns. I love everything about a gun.”