GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- Campus shootings are inevitable, and gun control alone isn't going to change that; but better monitoring and treatment of students with emotional problems and enhanced campus security procedures would seem to be in order. This paraphrases Americans' basic assessment of campus security following the recent shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, according to a new Gallup Panel survey conducted April 23-26, 2007.

The Gallup Panel survey began on the same day the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs met to explore ways to prevent such massacres in the wake of Virginia Tech's tragedy. The survey found most Americans believe college campuses can never be made completely secure. Only 17% say that, by taking the right steps, universities could prevent campus shootings.

Still, Americans are not entirely fatalistic about the problem. When asked what they believe is "the single most important thing that could be done" to prevent a repeat of the Virginia Tech shooting elsewhere, only 9% of Americans say "nothing." Most offer practical suggestions relating to enhanced security, student monitoring, counseling, or upbringing.

• A combined 28% mention greater monitoring of students on campus, including implementing more follow-up every time someone voices a concern about a student, more closely monitoring students, and in general taking potential security threats more seriously.
• One in five Americans recommend greater campus security, either saying "more security" is needed in general (17%), or by recommending schools implement better warning systems for students and faculty (3%).
• Overall, 13% of Americans think the primary answer lies with better gun laws; this is higher among Democrats than among Republicans (19% vs. 7%).
• Twelve percent of Americans suggest evaluating students and providing them with the necessary mental health services and more counseling in general.
• Eight percent think the solution is found at a much deeper level, by providing better upbringing for youth and limiting their exposure to violent video games and other media.   

Metal Detectors Favored

In addition to this open-ended measure, the poll probed public attitudes about a variety of specific anti-violence approaches that could be implemented on college campuses. Americans widely endorse several security-oriented measures, including increased police presence, installing metal detectors at the entrances to all public buildings, and expelling students with violent tendencies; but they stop well short of supporting mandatory psychological testing of prospective students. 

A majority of Americans say banning handguns on college campuses is a reasonable approach to take to reduce the risk of violence on college campuses.  Most say that allowing students and faculty to carry concealed weapons is not a reasonable approach. However, the vast majority also say that banning the sale of handguns in the United States altogether is not reasonable.

No Push for Changes in Gun Laws

The Panel survey included two additional questions about gun control, both of which confirm Americans are not eager to see major changes in gun laws. Although there is an argument that gun crimes can be prevented if "the good guys" are allowed to carry weapons, Americans disagree about loosening gun control on college campuses. Only 24% say that allowing students and faculty who have a concealed weapon permit to carry those weapons on campus would make college campuses safer; 72% disagree.

At the same time, only 26% believe that stricter laws concerning the sale of handguns in Virginia would have prevented the Virginia Tech tragedy; 72% disagree.

Notable Demographic Differences

Most of the differences among key subgroups of Americans are fairly moderate; they do not reflect wholesale differences in attitudes about the safety of college campuses or remedies to enhance security. 

Within that framework, the largest differences tend to be according to gender and political party affiliation. Women and Democrats are less supportive than men and Republicans when it comes to allowing students and faculty to carry concealed weapons; they are more likely to believe such a policy would make campuses more dangerous, and to favor an outright ban on handguns. Women and Democrats are also more likely than men and Republicans to say installing metal detectors at all public buildings on campuses is a reasonable approach to improving college safety.

Survey Methods

Results for this panel study are based on telephone interviews with 1,007 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted April 23-26, 2007. Respondents were randomly drawn from Gallup's nationally representative household panel, which was originally recruited through random selection methods. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points.

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

Now, thinking about security on college campuses following the recent shootings at Virginia Tech…

18. Which comes closer to your view -- [ROTATED: if universities took the right steps, they could prevent shootings on campuses from happening, (or) no matter what universities do, they would not be able to prevent shootings on campuses from happening]?

19. In your opinion, what is the single most important thing that could be done to prevent another incidence of school shootings by students, like the recent incident at Virginia Tech?  (OPEN-ENDED)

20. Do you think each of the following would or would not be a reasonable approach to take to reduce the risk of violence on college campuses? How about -- [RANDOM ORDER]?

21. Suppose colleges allowed students and faculty members who have a permit to carry a concealed weapon to carry those weapons on campus. Do you think this would make college campuses safer or more dangerous places to be?

22. Based on what you have read or heard about the shootings at Virginia Tech, do you think -- [ROTATED: this tragedy could have been prevented if the laws on handgun sales in the state of Virginia were more strict, (or) this tragedy would have occurred even if the state of Virginia had stricter laws on handgun sales]?