Views of College Students on Pit Bull "Ownership": New Providence, The Bahamas

Abstract

AbstractThis paper reports the finding of the first, known study of a Caribbean community's views on pit bulls. College students (375) provided their perceptions on a number of issues related to pit bull guardianship ("ownership"). Age, sex, and dog-owning status influenced some of their views. They saw pit bulls as being different from other dogs, but not all supported banning pit bulls. Some results reinforced the stereotypes associated with pit bull ownership: Most pit bull owners were under 19 years of age, and older respondents were more likely than younger ones to support a ban on pit bulls. Why different subgroups of respondents held their views would be a useful avenue for future research.