N.J. concern for gun violence dips, but most still favor gun control

A new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll suggests that concerns in the Garden State about gun violence in America have eased somewhat since the Dec. 14 Newtown, Conn., school shootings. The percentage of Jersey residents who are “very concerned” has dipped from 77 percent, immediately following Sandy Hook, to 69 percent today.

The telephone poll of 796 adult New Jerseyans also shows that 69 percent believe controls on gun ownership are more important to protect than gun owner rights — representing a decline from 72 percent two months ago. Though the poll also suggests New Jerseyans are evenly split on whether stricter gun laws would reduce violence.

Among what Garden State residents believe to be the primary causes of gun violence in America:

34 percent say it’s the easy availability of firearms.
16 percent say it’s down to inadequate background checks.
15 percent say it’s to do with how parents raise their children.

When it comes to opinions about the National Rifle Association, 48 percent have an unfavorable impression, while 28 percent view the gun-rights lobbying group favorably.