An Oregon State Patrol Trooper walks the grounds of Umpqua Community College during aftermath of the mass shooting on the Roseburg campus. (Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard via AP)
Gun violence is prevalent in our society. The issue of concealed weapons on college campuses has recently re-entered the media spot light with the shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon.
In a study done by Ball State University found that the majority of Midwestern college students don't want concealed guns on campus. Of the 15 universities interviewed, 78 percent of students oppose concealed gun permits.
The study also found that about 16 percent of undergraduate college students own firearms and another 20 percent of students have witnessed a crime involving firearms on their campus.
Safety is one of the greatest concerns in discussion about the issue. Almost 80 percent of students said that they wouldn't feel safe if the faculty, staff, students and even visitors were allowed to carry concealed handguns while on campus.
Concealed weapons could lessen gun related crimes by discouraging potential gun men. In the study by Ball State University about 66 percent of students reported that they didn't think carrying a gun would prevent future problems with gunmen. Most students in the study believed that concealed guns would increase the fatality rate of shootings on campus.
Females composed the majority of opinions against concealed weapons. The females in the study did not own firearms and did not have firearms in their homes growing up. Males on the other hand tended to be more favorable to concealed weapons on campus. Those who owned firearms or had been a victim of a crime were also more likely to support firearms on campus.