TEENS AND GUNS

August 2000
		A recent survey suggests teens favor stricter gun control. Was the survey fair?

April 12, 2000: The escalating politics of gun control. March. 20, 2000: The developments in the gun control debate.. March. 3, 2000: The police shooting of unarmed immigrant Amadou Diallo March. 2, 2000: Shootings in Michigan and Pennsylvania renew calls for more federal gun control measures Aug. 25, 1999: A report on efforts to limit gang activity in a Chicago suburb. May 20, 1999: A reflection upon the tragedy in Colorado. May 12, 1999: A discussion with Colorado High School students May 11, 1999: An update on the Oregon High School shootings . Browse the NewsHour's coverage of law     National Rifle Association Alliance for Justice	Have you heard? About 80 percent of high school students have talked about gun control with a parent or friend. According to a survey by the Alliance for Justice, nine out of 10 students favor mandatory licenses and background checks for gun purchases. About 79 percent of girls favor stricter gun laws compared with 52 percent of boys. The survey polled more than a 1,000 high school students across the country. A quarter of the students surveyed said they or someone close to them had been shot at. In large cities, that percentage rose to nearly half. The survey also found students in the East and South were most likely to support gun control, followed by the West and Midwest. Still, the National Rifle Association criticized the survey because it did not ask students their opinions on existing gun laws. The NRA says tens of thousands of gun laws are already on the books and if that information had been included in the survey, the results would have been different. So now that you heard, tell us what you think. Do you agree with the students polled? Do we need more laws or stronger enforcement of current laws? Does living in a particular part of the country change your opinion about guns? Does being a boy or girl shape your opinion in the gun debate?