Violence committed by and against juveniles has come increasingly to define the public's image of the crime problem and the larger debate over anticrime policy. Though crime rates in most cities have been relatively stable for several years, homicide rates and gun-related assaults involving young males in those same cities have been growing rapidly. In the Line of Fire describes the most extensive study to date of the means and methods of gun-related violence among urban youth.

Focusing on the number and types of firearms juveniles possess as well as where, how, and why they acquire and carry guns, Sheley and Wright rely on data collected from male inmates in juvenile correctional facilities in four states and from male students in ten inner-city public high schools in those same states.

Their findings confirm the prevalence of firearms in these selected populations, but challenge a number of common stereotypes concerning gun possession and use by juveniles. Fear - rather than the needs of criminal activity, drug trafficking, and gang affiliation - motivates juveniles to arm themselves. The authors urge a policy aimed at reducing such motivation rather than attempting to remove guns from the hands of youth.