Young men in Brooklyn carry guns because they’re afraid for their lives — and neither aggressive policing nor the threat of jail time will deter them, according to a new study.

Researchers with the non-profit Center for Justice Innovation gleaned the information from 103 gun-carriers, most of them black men ages 15-24, during in-depth interviews conducted between February 2020 and March 2021.

About three quarters of those interviewed said they feared either their own death or someone in their family’s — and that’s why they strapped up.

Those worries weren’t unfounded: About 89% of respondents had a friend or family member who had been shot, while 76% had been shot or shot at themselves, according to the report released this month.

But it wasn’t just gun violence that scared them — 35% said they carried because they feared New York’s Finest and 32% cited a fear of gangs, the study said.

“Under constant threat — from other gun-carriers as well as from police — and with virtually no ties to the mainstream economy, participants describe gun-carrying as a form of resilience in a world with vanishingly few options,” researchers wrote.

Despite that, neither cops nor the threat of jail time were seen as a deterrent. Especially in comparison to getting “caught lacking” — or, in other words, not being prepared for unpredictable street violence.

Eighty-four percent of those interviewed had been arrested at least once, 24% of those on a gun charge, with the average age of their first bust coming at 15, the researchers said.

Less than half said that carrying a gun made them fear jail time.

Economics also played a part in their gun-toting habits, the study said.

About two-thirds of participants belonged to a gang or other street network — leading many to run “hustles” such as drug dealing or scams to make money.

But there’s no police protection in the inherently dangerous pursuits, leaving their weapons as their only security blanket, the study noted. About half of participants also said they felt that police responded quickly when called about a shooting, while 43% said they felt cops were trying to protect people from violent crime.

The study recommended several ways to remedy the problems, including talking to the higher-ups who run the gangs.

“Street networks are the primary source of community and loyalty for many young gun-carriers, with a unique ability to influence culture around gun use,” researchers said.

“Engaging decision-makers within local gangs, crews, and street networks in designing and implementing programs — and hiring them as salaried program staff when appropriate — is a vital next step for the gun violence prevention field.”

It also said anti-gun programs should reach out to existing community support systems, provide opportunities for gun-carriers to heal from their trauma and cut the reliance on law enforcement.

“Minimizing law enforcement’s role can help programs provide the kinds of emotional and physical safety young gun-carriers need to heal in the long term,” researchers wrote.