IF YOU NEED HELP, DIAL THE
NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
HOTLINE AT:
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Domestic Violence and
DID YOU KNOW?
Guns
CURRENT LAW
•
In 2012, 924 women were killed by
male intimate partners (Violence
Center,
2014)
DIDPolicy
YOU
KNOW?
• Women in the US are 11 times
• In 2012, 924 women were
more
likely
be murdered
killed
byto
male
intimate with a
gunpartners
than in other
developed
(Violence
Policy
nations
(Mayors
Against
Illegal
Center, 2014)
•Guns,
1 in2013)
3 female murder victims
1 in 20murder
male murder
• 1 inand
3 female
victims and 1
victims
are
killed
by
intimate
in 20 male murder victims
are killed
partners (Bridges et al, 2008)
by intimate partners (Bridges et al,
• 2/3 of females murdered by
2008)
intimate partners were killed
• 2/3with
of females
murdered
by
guns (Bridges,
et al,
intimate
2008)partners were killed with
•guns
A (Bridges,
woman whose
abuser
et al, 2008)
owns
a firearm
5 times
• Having
a gun
in theishome
increases
more likely to be murdered
the risk of homicide 20 times when
than a woman whose abuser
there is a history of domestic
does not own a gun (John
violence
(John
Hopkins
Center for
Hopkins
Center
for Gun
GunPolicy
Policyand
andResearch,
Research,2003)
2010)
of homicide
victims
• •1/51/5
of homicide
victims
withwith
restraining
orders
are
restraining orders are murdered
murdered
within
two daysthe
of
within
two days
of obtaining
obtaining the order; 1/3 are
order; 1/3 are murdered within the
murdered within the first
firstmonth
month(Vittes
(Vittes&&Sorrenson,
Sorrenson,
2008)
2008)
• •48.6% of women killed by intimate
partners were killed by dating
partners (Cooper & Smith, 2011)
• 76% of women murdered by
intimate partners were stalked
(McFarlane et al, 1999)
A person who has been convicted of the felony or
misdemeanor crime of domestic violence toward a spouse,
former spouse, cohabiting intimate partner or a person
with whom the offender shares a biological child is
prohibited from owning firearms. Likewise, a person
under a permanent restraining order is not permitted to
own firearms.
GAPS
Current law does not prohibit the following people from
possessing firearms:
• People convicted of domestic violence against a
current or former dating partner
• People convicted of stalking
• People under an ex parte (temporary) restraining
order
Many people who are legally prohibited from owning guns
are able to purchase them, because:
• Local records often do not contain sufficient detail
to flag offenders
• Offenders can purchase firearms at gun shows or
from private sellers, thereby bypassing the
background check system
CONTACT US
2000 M St. NW Ste. 480  Washington, DC 20036
(202)467-8714  publicpolicy@ncadv.org
1 Broadway, Ste. B210 
(303)839-1852
Denver, CO 80203
Coming October 31, 2014: www.ncadv.org
OUR POSITION
Federal gun laws are essential for protecting the lives of victims of domestic violence.
We support strengthening gun safety laws to protect all victims of domestic violence,
including dating partners, people who have been stalked, and people who have been
granted an ex parte restraining order. We also support measures to close loopholes that
allow offenders to bypass the background check system.
FURTHER READING
Women Under the Gun from the Center for American Progress: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/gunscrime/report/2014/06/18/91998/women-under-the-gun/
Americans for Responsible Solutions: www.americansforresponsiblesolutions.org
Bureau of Justice Statistics: www.bjs.gov
Domestic Violence Resource Center: www.dvrc-or.org
Everytown: www.everytown.org
Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence: www.smartgunlaws.org
The Violence Policy Center: www.vpc.org
REFERENCES
Bridges, F. S., Tatum, K. M., & Kunselman, J. C. (2008). Domestic violence statutes and rates of intimate partner
and family homicide: A research note. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 19(1), 117-130.
John Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research (2010). Intimate Partner Violence and Firearms. Retrieved
from http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-gun-policy-andresearch/publications/IPV_Guns.pdf.
Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Guns laws and violence against women. Retrieved from http://3gbwir1ummda16
xrhf4do9d21bsx.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Guns-and-V
iolence-Against-Women-Everytown-for-Gun-Safety.pdf.
McFarlane, J. M., Campbell, J. C., Wilt, S., Sachs, C. J., Ulrich, Y. & Xu, X. (1999). Stalking and intimate partner
femicide. Homicide Studies, 3(4), 300-316.
Cooper, A. & Smith, E. L. (2011). Homicide trends in the United States, 1980-2008. Retrieved from http://www
.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/htus8008.pdf.
Violence Policy Center (2014). When men murder women: An analysis of 2012 homicide data. Retrieved from
http://www.vpc.org/studies/wmmw2014.pdf.
Vittes, K. A. & Sorenson, S. B. (2008). Restraining orders among victims of intimate partner homicide. Injury
Prevention, 14(1), 191-195.