Gun violence is one of the most prominent social issues leading to both harm and fatalities. While most of those who own firearms have the federal right to keep them, some challenges arise when they are unfit to possess such weapons. In particular, some of these individuals are affected by the issues rooted within their systems, which are mostly of biological and social nature. Thus, policymakers often use theories explaining the possible origins of violence in an individual to create guidelines used to assess one’s fitness to legally possess a handgun. The three main public policies used to combat gun violence include psychological fitness assessment, background checks, and gun trafficking monitoring.
It is critical to entrust gun ownership to responsible citizens using different policy approaches. Background checks are important as they help psychologists assess a buyer’s social interactions, attitudes, and behaviors. For example, the women prone to domestic abuse are likely to possess and use weapons against their oppressors. Moreover, a rifle seller must assess one’s psychological traits and mental health to ensure that the firearm is placed in a sober individual’s hands. Furthermore, a weapon licensee should understand the driving motive for buying guns to limit the number of purchases to reduce possible trafficking practices. According to Alvarez and Bachman (2019), strain theory explains the driving factors witnessed among the people who live in complicated conditions and are deprived of most necessities, thus becoming violent. Alvarez and Bachman (2019) also reveal that people become aggressive by observing those they mostly interact with. For instance, one is likely to demonstrate aggression if raised in a conflict-filled zone or where people have to rob using different kinds of weapons. Thus, in policymaking, these theories are considered to impact how the purchasers can be expected to use guns.
In conclusion, the theory is critical in policymaking, as it provides a framework used to define the various elements of the guidelines adopted to curb foreseeable issues. For instance, when formulating gun violence policies, concepts such as strain and social learning theories are used to define possible causes of aggression among firearm buyers and to assess the possibility of them inappropriately using their guns within society.
Reference
Alvarez, A., & Bachman, R. D. (2019). Violence: The enduring problem. Sage Publications.