Beyond Gun Control: How March for Our Lives Frames Gun Violence Prevention as Positive Peace

Authors

Ashley E. Nickels, Kent State University - Kent CampusFollow
Amanda D. Clark, University of Texas - DallasFollow

Abstract

March for Our Lives (MFOL) is a youth-led social movement that has redefined the framing of gun violence prevention, expanding it beyond policy-focused gun control efforts to a broader vision of positive peace. Rather than positioning gun violence solely as a matter of firearm regulation, MFOL constructs it as a structural justice issue, linking it to systemic inequities such as racial oppression, economic inequality, and political disenfranchisement. This study examines how MFOL’s movement framing reshapes understandings of gun violence prevention by emphasizing community transformation, intersectional justice, and collective safety. Drawing on framing theory, we analyze how MFOL presents gun violence not just as a public safety crisis but as a generational struggle that requires reimagining democracy and belonging. By framing their movement as a pathway to positive peace, MFOL challenges dominant narratives of security, instead advocating for systemic solutions that address root causes of violence. This research contributes to scholarship on youth-led movements, framing theory, and the role of social movements in repositioning the concept of community through social change.

Author Bio(s)

Ashley E. Nickels, PhD. is an associate professor in the School of Peace and Conflict Studies at Kent State University. Dr. Nickels research focuses on civic power and democracy.

Amanda D. Clark, PhD, is an assistant professor of instruction at University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Clark’s research focuses on election administration, citizen engagement/democracy, and governance.

Keywords

Positive Peace, Gun Violence, March For Our Lives, Social Movement, Framing

Recommended Citation

Nickels, Ashley E. and Clark, Amanda D. (2025) "Beyond Gun Control: How March for Our Lives Frames Gun Violence Prevention as Positive Peace," Peace and Conflict Studies: Vol. 32: No. 2, Article 3.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/pcs/vol32/iss2/3

ORCID ID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5183-246X https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3110-5871