Gun Violence Statistics and Studies

GUNS AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Guns and domestic violence make a deadly combination. A 2003 study indicated that the presence of a gun in the home made it 6 times more likely that an abused woman would be murdered than other abused women.¹

Women as Victims in Firearm Homicides

In 2005, firearms were responsible for the murders of 1,791 women, including 1,089 white women, 636 African-American women, and 21 Native American/Alaskan Native, and 45 Asian-Pacific Islanders.²

In 2005, 1,181 women were killed by their intimate partners,⁴ accounting for over 30% of all murders of women.⁵

In 2005, 57 percent of women killed by their intimate partners were killed by guns.⁶

In 2005, 678 women were killed by intimates using guns compared to 147 men.⁷

From 1990 to 2005, over two-thirds of the spouse and ex-spouse victims were killed by guns.⁸

African-American and Hispanic females, especially young women, remain at high risk.

In 2005, among young women age 15 to 24, 182 African-Americans and 67 Hispanics were murdered by firearms.⁹

The African-American rate was over 5 times the rate of young white women and the Hispanic rate was nearly 80% higher.⁹

Children, Guns, and Domestic Violence

Children are also seriously affected by gun violence in the home. Children who witness the use or threat of a firearm exhibit greater behavioral problems than those who do not.¹⁰

Federal Gun Laws and Domestic Violence

In 1994, Congress protected the public from dangerous stalkers and domestic violence abusers by barring anyone subject to a domestic violence, harassment or stalking restraining order from possessing firearms.  18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8).  In 1996, Congress further strengthened Federal gun laws by enacting a ban on gun possession by anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.  18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9).

Click here to learn about what else needs to be done to keep guns away from domestic violence offenders.

Updated April 2008

 
Endnotes:
1.    Jacquelyn C. Campbell et. al., "Assessing Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Homicide," NIJ Journal 250 (November 2003) 16-17.
2.    WISQARS, Injury Mortality Reports, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control. http://webapp.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/mortrate10_sy.html, 2005 data (hereafter Injury Mortality Reports).
3.    Bureau of Justice Statistics, Homicide Trends in the U.S.: Intimate Homicide, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.  http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/intimates.htm
4.    Bureau of Justice Statistics, Homicide Trends in the U.S.: Intimate Homicide, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/tables/intimatestab.htm
5.    Bureau of Justice Statistics, Homicide Trends in the U.S.: Intimate Homicide. Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.  http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/tables/intproptab.htm.
6.    Bureau of Justice Statistics, Homicide Trends in the U.S.: Intimate Homicide. Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.  http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/tables/intweaptab.htm.
7.    Ibid.
8.    Bureau of Justice Statistics, Homicide Trends in the U.S.: Intimate Homicide, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.  http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/intimates.htm
9.    Ibid.
10.    Ernest N. Jouriles et. al., "Knives, Guns, and Interparent Violence 4: Relations with Child Behavior Problems", Journal of Family Psychology 12:2 (1998)178-194.