Attitudes and Perceptions of Concealed Carry on Campus
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ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS OF CONCEALED CARRY ON CAMPUS: A CASE STUDY OF STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FACULTY AT LIBERTY UNIVERSITY by Jeremiah Todd Koester Liberty University A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Liberty University 2019 2 ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS OF CONCEALED CARRY ON CAMPUS: A CASE STUDY OF STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FACULTY AT LIBERTY UNIVERSITY by Jeremiah Todd Koester A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA 2019 APPROVED BY: Lucinda Spaulding, Ph.D., Committee Chair James Swezey, Ed.D., Committee Member 3 ABSTRACT The number of mass shootings and active shooter situations has significantly increased at higher education institutions (HEIs) over the past several years, and as a result, they have introduced issues of safety that administrators must handle. The purpose of this embedded, single case study was to understand the attitudes concerning concealed carry on campus for students, staff, and faculty at Liberty University. The primary theory guiding this study was vested interest theory (Crano, 1997) as it examines the attitudes of those most closely involved with a situation and how they become vested in a particular situation which results in behavior changes, and the secondary theory is Maslow’s (1970) hierarchy of needs, as it argues that in order for individuals to achieve their potential, they must first have their safety needs met. Data collection entailed a survey sent to all students, staff, and faculty followed by interviews with select participants. Data analysis included the coding of the data to examine themes across the embedded units and provide descriptions of the attitudes and perceptions of faculty, staff, and students across the university. The research questions guiding this study were: (1) How do students, staff, and faculty feel about concealed carry on campus? (2) What factors influence the attitudes of faculty, staff, and students towards concealed carry on campus? (3) What affects does a concealed carry policy have on student, staff, and faculty perceptions of safety? (4) What impact does the university’s culture have on student, staff, and faculty attitudes towards concealed carry? (5) How do the students, staff, and faculty perceive the exposure given them concerning concealed carry on campus? Three overarching themes were identified: education and training, cognitive and emotional maturity, and mental health. Keywords: Attitudes, Staff, Faculty, Students, Concealed Carry, Mass Shooting, Active Shooter, Higher Education Institution (HEI), Campus Safety 4 Copyright Page © Jeremiah T. Koester, 2019 5 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my grandfather, Doyle Lynn Winchell, affectionately known to me as “pawpaw.” He was one of, if not, the biggest supporters of me pursuing my doctoral education. He was a constant source of inspiration and love while also demonstrating strong Biblical principles that I will never forget. He is now with the Lord, but I know, he is very proud of how far I have come. I would also like to dedicate this dissertation to my wife, Rachel, and son, Judah. While the doctoral journey is full of challenges for the candidate, it also means spending many hours away from you both and I know that it was tough for both of you. Even when we were together, you knew part of me was thinking about what my next steps in the process were. Thank you for your unending love and support. 6 Acknowledgments I want to thank my family for all of the love and support they gave me through this process. My wife, Rachel, and son, Judah, were ever supportive, caring, and loving. As with any project, there are distinct ups and downs. When I would get frustrated or depressed about the study, my wife was always quick to motivate me to continue on and achieve my dream. When I was motivated, you always ensured I had plenty of time to work. I am sure at this point, you are as familiar with my study as I am. I could not have done this without you both. I also want to thank my chair, Dr. Spaulding. I am confident that without your guiding hand from the beginning of this study, I would not have accomplished this dissertation. While this study was outside of your comfort zone, you took a chance on me. You always seemed to know exactly what to say to inspire me to push a little more. It is evident that you care deeply for your students, and I thank you for guiding me through this study. I would also like to thank Dr. Swezey. He provided a lot of good feedback that helped develop the study into a more complete and comprehensive study. While I was often nervous of his feedback, ultimately I knew that he was helping me become a better researcher and writer. Finally, I want to thank my parents. Thank you for instilling in me a desire to always to work hard to better myself through my education, and teaching me from a young age to love reading and always be curious. 7 Table of Contents ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................................3 Copyright Page.................................................................................................................................4 Dedication ........................................................................................................................................5 Acknowledgments............................................................................................................................6 List of Tables .................................................................................................................................12 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................13 List of Abbreviations .....................................................................................................................14 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................15 Overview ............................................................................................................................15 Background ........................................................................................................................15 Historical Context ..................................................................................................15 Social Context ........................................................................................................19 Theoretical Context ................................................................................................21 Situation to Self..................................................................................................................22 Problem Statement .............................................................................................................24 Purpose Statement ..............................................................................................................25 Significance of the Study ...................................................................................................25 Research Questions ............................................................................................................27 Definitions..........................................................................................................................28 Summary ............................................................................................................................29 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................31 Overview ............................................................................................................................31 8 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................................31 Vested Interest Theory ...........................................................................................32 Hierarchy of Needs ................................................................................................33 Related Literature ...............................................................................................................35 Concealed Carry .....................................................................................................35 Campus Safety .......................................................................................................50 Firearm Violence ...................................................................................................55 Attitudes towards Concealed Carry .......................................................................63 Summary ............................................................................................................................72 CHAPTER THREE: METHODS ..................................................................................................74 Overview ............................................................................................................................74 Design ................................................................................................................................74 Research Questions ............................................................................................................76