Between March and April 2024, the National Domestic Violence Hotline (The Hotline), in partnership with the Battered Women’s Justice Project (BWJP) conducted a survey to learn more about the experiences of survivors and victims of gender-based violence related to their abusers’ use of firearms as part of their violence and abuse. The intersection of firearms and domestic violence has significant implications for the safety and well-being of survivors. The prevalence of domestic violence and gun violence— and the combination of the two—is a public health crisis. The presence of a firearm can increase lethality, reduce safety, and present additional complications in the legal system. Through this survey, we learned more about the ways firearms are used to threaten, control, and harm victims and survivors.
