Locked, Stocked, and Charmin: Sources of White Americans' Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unprecedented number of people purchasing firearms/ammunition. However, this was not the only way Americans responded to the pandemic: large swaths of the public also stayed at home and stockpiled goods. Twelve months later, as the pandemic raged,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Victims & offenders 2023-07, Vol.18 (5), p.765-798
Main Authors: Jonson, Cheryl Lero, Graham, Amanda, Cullen, Francis T., Pickett, Justin T., Haner, Murat, Sloan, Melissa M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
American history
Ammunition
Behavior problems
Coping
COVID-19
fear
Firearms
gun purchasing
Nationalism
Pandemics
panic buying
Polls & surveys
Purchasing
Self control
Social interaction
stay-at-home orders
stockpiling
White nationalism
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Summary:In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unprecedented number of people purchasing firearms/ammunition. However, this was not the only way Americans responded to the pandemic: large swaths of the public also stayed at home and stockpiled goods. Twelve months later, as the pandemic raged, these coping mechanisms were still present as Americans continued to buy guns/ammunition, limit social interactions, and hoard supplies. Using two nationwide surveys conducted one year apart, we examine the extent and sources of gun/ammunition purchasing compared to staying home and panic buying during this unique moment in American history. Results from both surveys indicate that the factors that led to these divergent coping mechanisms vary. Both at the beginning of the pandemic and one year later, the likelihood of purchasing a firearm/ammunition was associated low self-control and White nationalism. Conversely, fear of the virus was associated with people staying home and amassing supplies.
ISSN:1556-4886
1556-4991
DOI:10.1080/15564886.2023.2183917