'In the safety of your own home': results from a national survey on gun use at home

In the US, guns, particularly handguns, are typically brought into the home for protection. The wisdom of having a firearm in the home, however, is disputed. While guns appear to be a risk factor for family homicide, suicide and unintentional firearm fatality, no evidence has been available about gun use at home to intimidate family members and little about gun use to thwart crimes by intruders, or about the use of other weapons in home self-defense. Over the past decade, various private surveys have asked questions about the respondent's use of guns in self-defense. None, however, has asked detailed questions about the use of guns to threaten or intimidate the respondent. This study presents results from a national random digit dial telephone survey of 1906 US adults conducted in the spring of 1996. Respondents were asked about hostile gun displays and use of guns and other weapons in self-defense at home in the past five years. The objective of the survey was to assess the relative frequency and characteristics of weapons-related events at home. Thirteen respondents reported that a gun was displayed against them at home, two reported using a gun in self-defense at home, and 24 reported using another weapon (e.g. knife, baseball bat) in home self-defense. While we do not always know whose weapon was used in these incidents, most gun brandishings were by male intimates against women. A gun in the home can be used against family members or intruders and can be used not only to kill and wound, but to intimidate and frighten. This small study provides some evidence that guns may be used at least as often by family members to frighten intimates as to thwart crime, and that other weapons are far more commonly used against intruders than are guns.     

Risk factors for femicide in abusive relationships: results from a multisite case control study

OBJECTIVES: This 11-city study sought to identify risk factors for femicide in abusive relationships. METHODS: Proxies of 220 intimate partner femicide victims identified from police or medical examiner records were interviewed, along with 343 abused control women. RESULTS: Preincident risk factors associated in multivariate analyses with increased risk of intimate partner femicide included perpetrator's access to a gun and previous threat with a weapon, perpetrator's stepchild in the home, and estrangement, especially from a controlling partner. Never living together and prior domestic violence arrest were associated with lowered risks. Significant incident factors included the victim having left for another partner and the perpetrator's use of a gun. Other significant bivariate-level risks included stalking, forced sex, and abuse during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: There are identifiable risk factors for intimate partner femicides.     

WOMEN’S HEALTH DURING AND AFTER PREGNANCY: A THEORY BASED STUDY OF ADAPTATION TO CHANGE

The relationship between suicide attempts and the experience of intimate partner physical violence has been examined in recent literature. The present study extended this literature by examining the relationship between intimate partner rape and suicidal ideation in a sheltered sample of battered women. Fifty women were recruited from a regional shelter setting for battered women in a Midwestern city in the United States. Fifty-eight percent had experienced intimate partner rape. Morethan one-third of the sample confirmed experiencing suicidal ideation at least “some of the time” within the past week. Experiencing intimate partner rape was significantly associated with suicidal ideation and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Tests of mediation revealed that both PTSD and depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between intimate partner rape and suicidal ideation.     

Mediators of suicidal ideation within a sheltered sample of raped and battered women

The relationship between suicide attempts and the experience of intimate partner physical violence has been examined in recent literature. The present study extended this literature by examining the relationship between intimate partner rape and suicidal ideation in a sheltered sample of battered women. Fifty women were recruited from a regional shelter setting for battered women in a Midwestern city in the United States. Fifty-eight percent had experienced intimate partner rape. More than one-third of the sample confirmed experiencing suicidal ideation at least "some of the time" within the past week. Experiencing intimate partner rape was significantly associated with suicidal ideation and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Tests of mediation revealed that both PTSD and depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between intimate partner rape and suicidal ideation.     

Physical violence against women in Santa Fe de Bogotá: prevalence and associated factors]

OBJECTIVE: Estimate the magnitude of the problem of violence in intimate relationships affecting women in Santa Fe de Bogotá, Colombia, and identify the factors related to the risk of being battered. METHODS: The data analyzed were collected between September 1998 and September 1999 from interviews with 3,971 women who had a child less than 6 months old. The women interviewed were ones using public health services in the Suba area of Bogotá, either for pediatric attention (well-baby services, vaccination, an ill child) or for childbirth. Out of the 3,971 women, 10 of them declined to participate, and 804 of them were not in an intimate relationship and were excluded from the analyses. RESULTS: Of the 3,157 participants, 26.5% of them reported that their current partner had slapped or pushed them, and 13.3% reported they had been hit with a fist, kicked, hit with some object, or beaten, or threatened with a knife or gun. In addition, 26.2% of the women said that their partner imposed some prohibition on them (on social activities, work, family planning, etc.). In the bivariate analyses, violence was significantly associated with: less schooling and lower income (P < 0.001), having more children (P < 0.001), a longer period of time living with the partner (P < 0.001), more frequent conflict with the partner (P < 0.001), not having other family members living in the home (P < 0.01), a history of abuse in the family of origin (P < 0.001), and prohibitions imposed by the partner (P < 0.001). According to multivariate analysis, the two factors most strongly related with violence were frequency of conflict with the partner and prohibitions imposed by the partner. CONCLUSIONS: Public health services are a good place to identify victims of domestic violence, and early detection and intervention programs should be established there. Services to support and protect victims should be expanded and strengthened in order to provide those persons with guidance, legal assistance, education, and job training. Appropriate alternative services for aggressors also need to be developed.     

Adolescents and firearms: a California statewide survey

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the prevalence and correlates of adolescents' reports regarding firearms in their homes, of their own, of close friends, and of same-aged peers. METHODS: Random-digit-dialed interviews were conducted with 5801 adolescents as part of the California Health Interview Survey. RESULTS: One fifth (19.6%) of California adolescents reported having a firearm in their homes; few (3.0%) reported having their own gun. Characteristics associated with having one's own gun and with perceptions regarding others' guns generally were consistent with characteristics associated with having a firearm in the home. The 2 exceptions were related to socioeconomic status and to ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: The source from which adolescents obtain guns, especially adolescents from less wealthy households, merits further investigation. Further research is needed to ascertain the accuracy of Black and Latino adolescents' perceptions regarding handguns among their peers.     

The choice of weapons in firearm suicides.

We report on the firearms used in 235 suicides in Sacramento County, California, during 1983-85. Handguns were used in 69 per cent of firearm suicides--65 per cent for males, 88 per cent for females--and in all such deaths among women ages 35 and older. We tested the hypothesis that the choice of firearms by persons committing suicide at home would passively reflect the reported prevalence of firearms by type in households in the region. Handguns were used more frequently (rate ratio 2.00; 95% CI = 1.68, 2.39), and rifles and shotguns less frequently than expected.     

Guns in the home and risk of a violent death in the home: findings from a national study

Data from a US mortality follow-back survey were analyzed to determine whether having a firearm in the home increases the risk of a violent death in the home and whether risk varies by storage practice, type of gun, or number of guns in the home. Those persons with guns in the home were at greater risk than those without guns in the home of dying from a homicide in the home (adjusted odds ratio = 1.9, 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 3.4). They were also at greater risk of dying from a firearm homicide, but risk varied by age and whether the person was living with others at the time of death. The risk of dying from a suicide in the home was greater for males in homes with guns than for males without guns in the home (adjusted odds ratio = 10.4, 95% confidence interval: 5.8, 18.9). Persons with guns in the home were also more likely to have died from suicide committed with a firearm than from one committed by using a different method (adjusted odds ratio = 31.1, 95% confidence interval: 19.5, 49.6). Results show that regardless of storage practice, type of gun, or number of firearms in the home, having a gun in the home was associated with an increased risk of firearm homicide and firearm suicide in the home.     

Exploring the health care needs of women in abusive relationships in Japan

In Japan, although there is increasing development of policy related to the problem of intimate partner violence (IPV), little attention has been paid to the health issues of battered women. We explored battered women's experiences in health care settings in Japan. Six women participated in focus group and individual interviews. We found that participants' injuries, both emotional and physical, stemming from IPV, were trivialized by health care providers. Women also were given little time to talk with health care providers. We discuss implications for health care practice, research, and policy.     

Validating survey responses to questions about gun ownership among owners of registered handguns

While survey-based data on firearm ownership are essential for epidemiologic studies of the relation between gun ownership and injuries, the validity of respondent answers to questions about gun ownership has not been confirmed. In order to assess the accuracy of interview data about firearms, in June to August 1987, the authors attempted to contact residents of 75 homes in the cities of Memphis, Tennessee and Seattle, Washington listed as the address of the owner of a recently registered handgun. Despite problems with inaccurate registration data, contact was ultimately made with 55 households, 35 of which consented to a general interview that included a series of questions about gun ownership. Respondents in 31 of these 35 households (88.6%) readily acknowledged that one or more guns were kept in their home. Respondents in three of the remaining four households (8.6%) stated that guns were recently kept in their homes but were no longer kept there. Only one respondent (2.9%) denied categorically that guns of any kind were kept in her home. The authors conclude that, at least among registered gun owners, respondent answers to questions about gun ownership are generally valid and that survey data of this type can be utilized with confidence.     

Firearm Storage in Gun-Owning Households with Children: Results of a 2015 National Survey

Data from a nationally representative probability-based online survey sample of US adults conducted in 2015 (n?=?3949, response rate 55%) were used to assess self-reported gun storage practices among gun owners with children. The presence of firearms and children in the home, along with other household and individual level characteristics, was ascertained from all respondents. Questions pertaining to household firearms (how guns are stored, number, type, etc.) were asked only of those respondents who reported that they personally owned a gun. We found that approximately one in three US households contains at least one firearm, regardless of whether children lived in the home (0.34 [0.29–0.39]) or not (0.35 [0.32–0.38]). Among gun-owning households with children, approximately two in ten gun owners store at least one gun in the least safe manner, i.e., loaded and unlocked (0.21 [0.17–0.26]); three in ten store all guns in the safest manner, i.e., unloaded and locked (0.29, [0.24–0.34]; and the remaining half (0.50 [0.45–0.55]) store firearms in some other way. Although firearm storage practices do not appear to vary across some demographic characteristics, including age, sex, and race, gun owners are more likely to store at least one gun loaded and unlocked if they are female (0.31 [0.23–0.41]) vs. male (0.17 [0.13–0.22]); own at least one handgun (0.27 [0.22–0.32] vs. no handguns (0.05 [0.02–0.15]); or own firearms for protection (0.29 [0.24–0.35]) vs. do not own for protection (0.03 [0.01–0.08]). Approximately 7% of US children (4.6 million) live in homes in which at least one firearm is stored loaded and unlocked, an estimate that is more than twice as high as estimates reported in 2002, the last time a nationally representative survey assessed this outcome. To the extent that the high prevalence of children exposed to unsafe storage that we observe reflects a secular change in public opinion towards the belief that having a gun in the home makes the home safer, rather than less safe, interventions that aim to make homes safer for children should address this misconception. Guidance alone, such as that offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics, has fallen short. Our findings underscore the need for more active and creative efforts to reduce children’s exposure to unsafely stored firearms.     

High school students’ attitudes about firearms policies

PURPOSE: To examine high school students' attitudes about firearm policies and to compare their attitudes with those of adults. METHODS: The Hamilton Youth and Guns Poll is the first national survey of high school students about their attitudes concerning firearm policies. Questions were asked of 1005 sophomores, juniors, and seniors about their actual (i.e., direct) exposure (e.g., presence of a gun in the home) and about their social (i.e., indirect) exposure (e.g., whether the student could get a gun) to firearms and related violence. Population weights were applied, and multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between demographic and exposure variables and opinions about firearm policies. RESULTS: Most high school students supported more restrictive firearm policies. Opinions varied little by demographic variables with the exception of gender. Females were significantly more supportive of most firearm policies. Actual exposure was a more consistent predictor than social exposure. Students living in a home with a gun, particularly a handgun, were less likely to support most restrictive gun policies. CONCLUSIONS: Most high school students in the United States favor stringent policies governing firearms. Adolescents' attitudes about firearm policies parallel those of adults.     

Exploring the Health Care Needs of Women in Abusive Relationships in Japan

In Japan, although there is increasing development of policy related to the problem of intimate partner violence (IPV), little attention has been paid to the health issues of battered women. We explored battered women's experiences in health care settings in Japan. Six women participated in focus group and individual interviews. We found that participants' injuries, both emotional and physical, stemming from IPV, were trivialized by health care providers. Women also were given little time to talk with health care providers. We discuss implications for health care practice, research, and policy.     

Family practice patients' attitudes toward firearm safety as a preventive medicine issue: a HARNET Study. Harrisburg Area Research Network.

BACKGROUND: Firearm-related deaths are expected to outnumber motor-vehicle-related deaths within the next 5 years. The goal of this project was to document gun ownership and safety habits among patients of family physicians and to determine patients' attitudes toward physician counseling about firearm safety. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of patients of 11 family practices affiliated with a research network. Patients (or parents of children) were asked to complete a 23-item questionnaire that asked about gun ownership, storage, sources of information about gun safety, and attitudes about gun safety, and the role of their physician. RESULTS: Of the 1359 questionnaires distributed, 1214 (89%) were returned. Gun ownership varied by location (urban, suburban, and rural) and ranged from 16% to 59%. Only 8% of respondents believed that their physician has a responsibility to discuss firearm safety. Most (91%) patients did not view their physician as a source of firearm safety information, and only 14% thought their physician was knowledgeable regarding gun safety. Most gun owners (71%) did not think they would follow their physicians' advice about gun storage. Most patients (5%) responded that gun safety should not be discussed during the office visit. CONCLUSION: With regard to firearm safety, family physicians lack credibility in the eyes of their patients. These patients do not appear to be receptive to information about firearm safety, and efforts to decrease firearm-related injury might be more effective if focused elsewhere.     

Intimate partner violence and minor psychiatric morbidity of aboriginal Taiwanese women

OBJECTIVES: Experiences of abuse increase the risk of psychiatric morbidity in women. This study assesses the prevalence of intimate partner violence and minor psychiatric morbidity and analyzes their association among aboriginal women in Taiwan. METHODS: Using system random sampling, 840 aboriginal women between the ages of 18 and 50 years old were recruited from four townships with aboriginal communities in southern Taiwan. Trained primary care nurses interviewed the participants at home by structured questionnaire. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-six of 840 (15%) of the aboriginal women had experienced physical abuse perpetrated by an intimate partner (her husband or cohabitant) during their lifetime; 10.1% had experienced it during the past 12 months; 4.0% had experienced sexual abuse by the partner; and 6.3% had experienced physical abuse during childhood at the hands of one or both parents. Multiple logistic regression revealed that after adjusting for women's age, alcohol and drug use, religious activity and husband's employment status, the experience of abuse (including partner physical abuse, partner sexual abuse, and childhood physical abuse) was significantly associated with suicidal ideation and depression. CONCLUSIONS: Health care professionals need to provide adequate support and health education, develop interventions, and use referrals in primary care in the community in order to reduce and prevent domestic violence against aboriginal women in Taiwan.     

On a life-saving mission: Nurses' willingness to encounter with intimate partner abuse

The main purpose of this qualitative study was to explore in depth selected expert nurses' experiences of the phenomenon of violence against women and the nurses' roles as health care providers to those women. The authors adopted a grounded theory method and produced an emerging theory comprising two key themes: nurses' personal perceptions toward intimate partner violence and nurses' feeling equipped to intervene. The findings showed that violence against women existed in a small local community and raised pitfalls caused by nurses' knowing the inhabitants. Furthermore, the findings indicate the devotion of nurses and the importance of their role in the care of battered women and the sharing of knowledge. Thus, the nurses compensate for a lack of training through personal maturity and security within the social context.     

Prevalence of and risk factors for intimate partner violence in China

OBJECTIVES: We estimated the prevalence of and risk factors for intimate partner violence in China. METHODS: Our cross-sectional, comparative prevalence study used a face-to-face survey of randomly selected women attending an urban outpatient gynecological clinic at a major teaching hospital in Fuzhou, China. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess risk factors for intimate partner violence. RESULTS: Of the 600 women interviewed, the prevalence of lifetime intimate partner violence and violence taking place within the year before the interview was 43% and 26%, respectively. For lifetime intimate partner violence, partners who had extramarital affairs and who refused to give respondents money were the strongest independent predictors. For intimate partner violence taking place within the year before the interview, frequent quarreling was the strongest predictor. CONCLUSIONS: Intimate partner violence is prevalent in China, with strong associations with male patriarchal values and conflict resolutions. Efforts to reduce intimate partner violence should be given high priority in health care settings where women can be reached.     

Intimate Partner Violence,Human Rights Violations,and HIV among Women in Nairobi,Kenya

This study presents qualitative results from a mixed-method investigation conducted between May and August 2012 into the prevalence and consequences of four forms of intimate partner violence among women living with HIV who attended the Comprehensive Care Clinic at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi. As a part of the research, a quantitative survey found that among 600 sexually active women living with HIV aged 18–69, all reported experiencing emotional abuse; 20%, 17%, and 15% experienced controlling behavior, physical violence, and sexual violence, respectively. Qualitative research using focus group discussions with 19 women from the quantitative survey sought to contextualize these experiences and place them within a larger social structure where institutionalized gender inequality sets the tone for intimate partner violence against women in households. Participants reported that intimate partner violence led to their exposure to the virus and made them leery of disclosing their positive status or seeking support from a male partner for fear of a violent reaction. This fear and the socio-structural conditions in Kenya limit their ability to actively pursue comprehensive care, the stress of which can exacerbate symptoms and make managing the disease more difficult.