a family member and used for sporting activity. The other group is comprised of youth who own their guns illegally and carry them on the street. The latter individuals carry guns for reasons of protection,
5 to carry out crimes, and for status. Recently, this group has been the focus of much research, policy-making, and tactical and strategic intervention. Preliminary work examining those enrolled in school suggests that today, gun carrying is relatively common among youth, particularly in urban areas. One study of junior high students in Washington, D.C., reported that 25 percent of males and 4 percent of females have carried a gun. Similarly, in New York City, seven percent of high school students reported carrying a handgun in the past 30 days. Data obtained from arrestees hasthe Arizona Department of Education. First, schools were stratified by county to assure that a proportionate number of schools and students were sampled from each of Arizona's 15 counties. Second, because the study was limited to students in the 8th, 10th, and 12th grades, schools not offering these grades were removed from the sample. Third, schools were categorized by type, representing the size of the school (large, medium, and small) and the grade levels that were taught in each school (i.e., kindergarten through 12th grade, 6th through 8th grade, 10th through 12th grade). Schools then were randomly selected from each category. If a selected school declined to participate in the study, another school from the same category was randomly selected as a replacement. Of the original 59 schools