Social Vulnerability and Firearm Violence: An Examination of the Correlates of Fatal and Nonfatal Shootings

Abstract

The current study uses the CDC’s social vulnerability index (SVI), an underutilized measure in criminology, to examine patterns of fatal and nonfatal firearm violence. The SVI is an index that captures the level of social vulnerability within communities that can reflect a community’s ability to withstand many stressors, including firearm violence. Results indicate that vulnerable communities, as measured by the SVI, experience disproportionate firearm violence. Results also show that neighborhood firearm violence is influenced by nearby neighborhoods’ levels of social vulnerability. That is, neighborhoods that are surrounded by other neighborhoods with high levels of social vulnerability experience more firearm violence. These results are important for policymakers who seek to address the root causes of vulnerabilities that impact firearm violence indirectly, and the results provide a foundation for future application of the SVI within criminology.