Disarming Domestic Abusers

Hundreds of women are shot and killed by an intimate partner every year, and many more are shot and wounded or threatened with a gun. The deadly intersection of guns and domestic violence has a disproportionate impact on Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Latina women. Research clearly shows that federal and state policies and practices that disrupt abusers’ access to guns can save lives.

One key law that helps prevent lethal violence by domestic abusers is a requirement that abusers be required to surrender any guns in their possession after they become legally prohibited from gun ownership due to a conviction for misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or becoming subject to a domestic violence restraining order. While these laws have been enacted in many states, their enforcement has been inconsistent, limiting the potential life-saving impact.