Is there a Relationship between Death Anxiety and Engagement in Lethal Behaviors among African-American Students?

Abstract

Two hundred and fifty-four African-American students volunteered to examine the relationship between death anxiety and engagement in lethal behavior. A three-part questionnaire was administered: Parts I and II of the questionnaire consisted of the Revised Death Anxiety Scale (RDAS) and the Lethal Behaviors Scale (LBS). Part III of the questionnaire consisted of questions about demography. The research was designed to assess the effect of gender, age, income, and geographic location on the relationship between death anxiety and lethal behavior. Chi square, ANOVA, and Multiple Regression analyses were employed to calculate the results. Findings include: 1) an inverse relationship exists between death anxiety and engagement in lethal behaviors, 2) females scored higher than males on the RDAS, 3) males scored higher than females on the LBS, and 4) income significantly effected Lethal Behavior Scale scores.

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