International Student Perceptions of American Gun Culture and School Shootings: A Public Health Examination

A shooting in an American education institution quickly creates a global ripple effect, due to the large number of international students enrolled in American secondary schools and higher education institutions. International students studying in the United States may offer unique insight into local and global perceptions of American gun culture, highlight the transnational physical, emotional, and psychological impact of gun violence, and offer fresh understandings about the American gun violence public health problem. A qualitative research study was conducted at The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) that included focus groups and in-depth interviews of students from China and India. These nations represent the largest American international student populations. The study included a random sampling methodology. Findings show that gun violence in American schools is a major concern for prospective international students and their families. While concerns about targeted-shootings diminish, students develop behaviors that indicate a pervasive fear of indiscriminate attacks (e.g., mass shootings and petty crime), such as avoidance of large public gatherings and traveling in groups for safety. They also question university campuses' unfettered visitor access and remain perplexed by the ease of gun access in America, which they directly attribute to causing America's gun violence problem. Social and mass media play large roles in perception-building processes by supplying accurate and real-time as well as fake or misleading information. However, divergent viewpoints emerge among family members concerned for their overseas relatives' safety while international students develop more refined perspectives.