Guns and Violence against Women

Guns and domestic violence are a lethal combination. In fact, women are five times more likely to be murdered by an abusive partner when the abuser has access to a gun. Learn the facts in this in-depth look at the issue, and see policy recommendations that you can advocate for.

Intimate partner violence and gun violence in the United States are inextricably linked, impacting millions of women, families, and communities across the country. Abusers with firearms are five times more likely to kill their female victims, and guns further exacerbate the power and control dynamic commonly used by abusers to inflict emotional abuse and exert coercive control over their victims.

Although this resource refers primarily to men and women, it acknowledges the high rates of domestic violence in the LGBTQIA+ community, and much of the information is relevant to people of all genders.

SOURCE: Everytown • LAST UPDATED: June 24, 2024