Intimate Partner Violence and Small Arms
Intimate partner violence is the most common form of violence in women’s lives worldwide. At least one in every three women in the world will be physically abused at least once in their lifetime. Women are more likely to be abused in their own homes than anywhere else, and their abuser is most likely to be a husband, boyfriend or other male relative.
Guns make intimate partner violence more deadly.
When intimate partner violence involves the use of a gun the risk to a woman’s life increases dramatically. Gun violence is more deadly than other types of violence because gunshots are more likely to inflict severe, life-threatening wounds and because the very presence of a gun reduces the likelihood of a victim escaping or of an outsiders intervening to assist them.
A gun in the home makes a woman less safe.
Rather than providing protection to women, guns increase the risk of homicide in the home. A gun in the home is much more likely to be used to intimidate or physically injure a family member than to be used against an outside intruder.
Legally held guns are just as dangerous as illegal ones.
Women are just as or more likely to be killed by a legally-owned firearm than an illegal one. Although law enforcement in most countries focuses on illegal handguns and crime, legal firearms are the primary weapons used in domestic homicides.
What can be done?
• Treat intimate partner and family violence as a serious crime and protect and support women who report it.
• Disarm perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence.
• Refuse new guns to perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence.
• Require all guns to be stored safely.
• Train law enforcement officials to address armed intimate partner and family violence.
More information:
Fact Sheets
Reports and Studies
Links
Fact sheets
Women and Gun Violence in the Home
Information Kit on Women and Armed Violence, IANSA Women’s Network
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Domestic Violence and Guns: The Facts
Americans for Gun Safety Fact Sheet (USA)
The Facts on Guns and Domestic Violence
Family Violence Prevention Fund (USA), 2004
Facts on Firearms and Domestic Violence
Violence Policy Center (USA)
When Men Murder Women: Homicide & Guns
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (USA), 2004
Factsheet: Firearms and Intimate Partner Violence
Johns Hopkins University, Center for Gun Policy and Research (USA), 2004
Guns and Domestic Violence
Brady Campaign Fact Sheet (USA)
Intimate Homicide Victims by Gender of Victim and Weapon Used
Brady Campaign Fact Sheet (USA)
The Risk of Guns in the Home
Brady Campaign Fact Sheet (USA)
Women and Guns, Facts and Figures
Gun Control Alliance Fact Sheet (South Africa)
Deadly Consequences: What every health care provider should know about guns and domestic violence
Physicians for Social Responsibility Fact Sheet (USA)
Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban Fact Sheet
National Center for Women and Policing (USA)
Reports and Studies
International
WHO Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence Against Women
World Health Organisation, 2005
Firearm Availability and Female Homicide Victimization Rates among 25 Populous High-Income Countries
Journal of American Medical Women's Association, 2002
Argentina
Pasión y muerte. Mujeres asesinadas en Mendoza 2004-2005
Asociación Civil Espacios para el Progreso Social, Mayo de 2006
Canada
Guns and Domestic Violence
Coalition for Gun Control
Malawi
Intimate Partner Violence: Results from a National Gender-Based
Violence Study in Malawi
Institute for Security Studies, 2005
South Africa
National study of Female Homicides in South Africa
MRC Policy Brief, 2004
United States
Faces of Gun Violence: A Survey of Gun Deaths Among Los Angeles, Riverside and Ventura County Residents, 2002
Women Against Gun Violence, 2005
When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2003 Homicide Data
Violence Policy Center, September 2005
2004 Report
2003 Report
2002 Report
2001 Report
Batterers' use of guns to threaten intimate partners Journal of American Medical Women's Association, 2005
California Attorney General’s Report on Domestic Violence
2005
Disarming Domestic Violence Abusers
Brady Campaign, September 2003
Increased Risk of Intimate Partner Homicide among California Women Who Purchased Handguns
Annals of Emergency Medicine, 2003
Predictors of Domestic Violence Homicide of Women
Family Violence Prevention Fund, 2003
Firearms and Domestic Violence: A Primer for Judges
Court Review, Summer 2002
Who Dies? A Look at Firearms Death and Injury in America
Violence Policy Center, 1999
Links
Abuse of Power
Americans for Gun Safety Foundation
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Family Violence Prevention Fund
Women Against Gun Violence
Firearms and Domestic Violence Resource Guide
National Center for State Courts (NCSC)
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