A phenomenological investigation of the experiences of adolescents who were apprehended while carrying a gun to school

Few issues have more forcefully captured the attention of the American public than the increasing presence of weapons on school campuses. Young people more and more bringing weapons to schooland making use of them. Through phenomenological interviews, five volunteer adolescents who had been apprehended for carrying a gun to school described their experiences. Transcribed interview protocols were analyzed by a phenomenological research team. Themes common to all interviews were identified and a general thematic structure was derived.

Three themes emerged from this investigation: Fear, Anger, and Availability. The Availability theme included two subthemes: On Purpose and Accidentally. Evidence for all themes was found in every protocol and emerged within the context of Time. Additionally, the researcher found two non-thematic aspects of the interviews important: demeanor and dialogue. Results are discussed with respect to other studies on guns in schools and are related to literature on school violence.