New Research: 88% of Americans Are Anxious About Gun Violence; Nearly half of Gun Owners Report Carrying Their Weapons More as a Result
April 12 2023 - 7:00AM
Business Wire
The survey, commissioned by Evolv Technology,
quantifies Americans’ perceptions of gun violence and its impact on
behavior
Evolv Technology (NASDAQ: EVLV), the leader in AI-based weapons
detection security screening, today announced the findings of a
study – Gun Violence in America: A Survey on Americans’ Anxiety –
it commissioned with market research firm Equation Research that
reveals the toll gun violence is taking on Americans. The
second-annual report highlights a dramatic increase in anxiety –
and changes in behavior as a result – over the past 12 months.
Key findings:
- 85% believe gun violence is a problem in America (vs. 78% in
2021)
- More than one-third believe it is likely they will encounter an
active shooter in their lifetime (vs. 28% in 2021)
- Nearly 3 in 10 Americans have thought about moving [from their
current home/location] out of fear of gun violence (vs. 12% in
2021)
- 22% believe they are more at risk of encountering an active
shooter based on their religious affiliation (vs. 15.3% in
2021)
- Nearly half (47%) of gun owners say they are carrying their
guns with them more today due to the increase in gun violence
- 1 in 5 non-gun-owning Americans say they plan to buy a gun;
more than half indicating it’s as a result of America’s increase in
gun violence
“We believe this research demonstrates that, as Americans, we
are all suffering collectively,” said Peter George, CEO, Evolv
Technology. “Rather than becoming numb to the rise in gun violence,
people are reporting that their anxiety levels are on the rise –
and impacting other areas of their lives. It is making them
reconsider the way they live their lives. The study shows increases
in the number of people who have thought about moving and those who
report higher levels of anxiety when they go to the movies and into
a grocery store. It’s imperative that we learn from these findings
and identify ways to address these rising levels of fear so we can
all live, work, learn and play safely – without paralyzing levels
of anxiety.”
Anxiety is high among parents
- Following school shootings in Uvalde, Texas (May 2022) and
Oxford, Michigan (November 2021), the research reveals that anxiety
among people with children is high.
- Half of the households with children have considered
homeschooling their children out of fear of gun violence
- 1 out of 2 have purchased, or are considering purchasing, “gun
safety” materials, such as bulletproof backpacks
- Of those, 1 out of 4 did so because their children asked for
them
- 3 out of 4 parents indicate that their child(ren) has some
anxiety about school shootings
- 54% report their child(ren)’s anxiety has increased since
2020
Large gatherings and bars/night clubs elicit higher
anxiety
- The findings highlight that Americans are concerned about the
risk of shootings in everyday locations, but for many, some places
provoke higher levels of anxiety than others.
- Thirty-seven percent (37%) of Americans list “large gatherings”
as the top answer when asked where they have increased anxiety as a
result of gun violence and/or terrorist activity (vs. 31% in
2021)
- Americans report increased levels of extreme/moderate anxiety
at the following everyday places:
- Bar/night club: 71% (vs. 68% in 2021)
- Work: 60% (vs. 53% in 2021)
- Places of worship: 60% (vs. 58% in 2021)
- Movie theater: 64% (vs. 61% in 2021)
Americans are willing to do more for safety
The pervasive feeling of anxiety and worry carries over into
what Americans are willing to do in order to reduce the threat of a
mass shooting. When asked whether they would be willing to go
through extra steps [to reduce those threats] at everyday
locations, such as the grocery store, workplace or movie theater,
they answered:
- Go through weapons detection screening: 67% (vs. 57% in
2021)
- Have bags checked: 59% (vs. 46%)
- Check guns at the door: 48% (vs. 44%)
- Be patted down by a security professional: 46% (vs. 37%)
- Only 12% would not be willing to go through these extra steps
(vs. 22% in 2021)
- 3 out of 4 report feeling safer at places that screen for and
do not allow weapons inside
George continued: “When we conducted this research last year, we
were surprised by the level of anxiety Americans are carrying
around as a result of gun violence and the ways that anxiety has
impacted behavior. My hope is that by shedding more light on the
impact gun violence is having, we can continue finding ways to help
Americans feel and be safer as they go about living their
lives.”
Click HERE for the full report.
Survey Methodology Evolv Technology commissioned Equation
Research to conduct the survey, which ran from December 7 to
December 20 2022. The survey captured responses from a broad
distribution of 2,015 adults in the U.S. aged 18 and older.
About Evolv Technology Evolv Technology (NASDAQ: EVLV) is
transforming human security to make a safer, faster, and better
experience for the world’s most iconic venues and companies as well
as schools, hospitals, and public spaces, using industry leading
artificial intelligence (AI)-powered weapons detection and
analytics. Its mission is to transform security to create a safer
world to work, learn, and play. Evolv has digitally transformed the
gateways in places where people gather by enabling seamless
integration combined with powerful analytics and insights. Evolv’s
advanced systems have scanned more than 425 million people, second
only to the Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation
Security Administration (TSA) in the United States. Evolv has been
awarded the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) SAFETY Act
Designation as a Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology (QATT) as well
as the Security Industry Association (SIA) New Products and
Solutions (NPS) Award in the Law Enforcement/Public Safety/Guarding
Systems category. Evolv Technology®, Evolv Express®, Evolv
Insights®, and Evolv Cortex AI® are registered trademarks of Evolv
Technologies, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions.
For more information, visit https://evolvtechnology.com.
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Media: Alexandra Smith Ozerkis
aozerkis@evolvtechnology.com
Investors: Brian Norris bnorris@evolvtechnology.com
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