Why do New Zealand high school students carry weapons?

Abstract

This study examined weapon carrying, including both the type of weapons being carried and reasons for carrying, in a sample of New Zealand high school students. A self-report online survey was administered to 1169 secondary students in the Otago region of New Zealand. Overall, 17 per cent had carried a weapon in the past year at school, and 24 per cent hadcarried outside school. The most common type of weapon was a pocket knife or knife, and the most common reason for carrying it at school was because it was in their bag or on their key ring, and for hunting or self-defence outside school. When psychological intention was taken into account, 9 per cent reported carrying for potential use as a weapon in the past year and 6 per cent in the past month. These students were also more likely to have been in a fight, to have missed school due to feeling unsafe, to have felt lonely, been bullied, bullied others and have few self-perceived competencies. In estimating the prevalence of weapon carrying, it is important to understand the psychological context of these behaviours.