An abusive partner’s access to a firearm is one of the strongest predictors of intimate partner homicide, and there is evidence that laws limiting abusers’ access to firearms are associated with fewer fatalities. Yet, there is a movement to increase access to firearms as a strategy for self-protection among intimate partner violence (IPV) victims. The present study describes both firearm-related and non-firearm-related protective actions among victims of IPV, and further examines which factors (e.g., pro-gun attitudes) are associated with engaging in firearm-related protective actions. Questionnaires were administered to women recruited from six domestic violence shelters in Texas from December 2017 to September 2018. Nearly 13 percent of victims in the analytic sample (N = 197) engaged in one or more forms of firearm-related protective actions in the past year. Multivariate analyses revealed that participants were more likely to have engaged in firearm-related protective actions if they experienced higher firearm-related IPV and if they held stronger pro-gun attitudes. The results highlight the importance of basing firearm policy on empirical evidence as firearms can have deadly consequences.

中文翻译：

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坚持自己的枪：检查亲密伴侣暴力受害者中与枪支相关的保护行动

施虐者获得枪支是亲密伴侣谋杀的最强预测因素之一，有证据表明，限制施虐者获得枪支的法律与较少的死亡人数有关。然而，作为亲密伴侣暴力 (IPV) 受害者的自我保护策略，有一种增加枪支获取的运动。本研究描述了 IPV 受害者中与枪支相关和非枪支相关的保护行动，并进一步研究了哪些因素（例如，支持枪支的态度）与从事与枪支相关的保护行动相关。对 2017 年 12 月至 2018 年 9 月从德克萨斯州六个家庭暴力庇护所招募的女性进行了问卷调查。分析样本中近 13% 的受害者（N = 197) 在过去一年中从事过一种或多种形式的枪支相关保护行动。多变量分析显示，如果参与者经历了更高的枪支相关 IPV 并且持有更强的支持枪支的态度，他们更有可能参与枪支相关的保护行动。结果强调了基于经验证据制定枪支政策的重要性，因为枪支可能会产生致命的后果。