Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
2-2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Program
Criminal Justice
Advisor
Valerie West
Advisor
Candace McCoy
Committee Members
Kitty Gelberg
Subject Categories
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Keywords
Cook's Index, Rural Urban Continuum, Firearm Suicide, Guns, Validation Test, New York
Abstract
Cook's Index is the most commonly used proxy for firearm prevalence. This research uses New York's Pistol Permits to measure legitimate firearm prevalence and compare it to Cook's Index. In this study, Cook's Index predicted impossible values for several counties that together contained a clear majority of New York State citizens. Cook's Index was also shown to be unreliable across types of counties. Rural and Urban counties had significantly different ratios of Cook's Index to Pistol Permits in New York. The models show a general finding that the relationship between Cook's Index and legitimate firearm ownership varies depending on the Rural-Urban Continuum. A more precise and non-linear model is needed to estimate the prevalence of firearms. Finally, the way in which Rural and Urban culture affect the use of firearms needs further research.
Recommended Citation
Cypher, Noah R., "Challenges in Measuring Firearm Prevalence: A Test of Cook's Index Across The Rural–Urban Continuum" (2019). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/3028