“GUNS” by Jessica Spengler is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Guns in the Home Increase Risk of Domestic Homicide

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Aaron Kivisto, Ph.D., HSPP Licensed Psychologist Co-Director, Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology  University of Indianapolis  Indianapolis, IN 46227

Dr. Kivisto

Aaron Kivisto, Ph.D., HSPP
Licensed Psychologist
Co-Director, Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program
Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology
University of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN 46227

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: There’s a robust literature showing that increased gun ownership rates are associated with increased rates of firearm homicide and suicide. We sought to examine whether the increased risk of homicide attributable to firearms is equally distributed across the population of potential victims or whether the risk is localized to particular victim groups.

Our findings showed that the risk of gun ownership is fairly localized to intimate partners and other family members; they’re bearing the bulk of the risk associated with gun ownership.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Guns present a risk for homicide that falls quite specifically on those in the home, whether they be intimate partners or other family members.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?

Response: Future research should continue to examine the impacts of policies restricting access to firearms by domestic abusers. Our research shows that guns present a risk; research now needs to identify the most effective ways to reduce this risk.

There was no funding or other disclosures to make. Thank you again for your interest 

Citation:

Aaron J. Kivisto, Lauren A. Magee, Peter L. Phalen, Bradley R. Ray. Firearm Ownership and Domestic Versus Nondomestic Homicide in the U.S.. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2019; DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.04.009 

[wysija_form id=”3″]

[last-modified] 

The information on MedicalResearch.com is provided for educational purposes only, and is in no way intended to diagnose, cure, or treat any medical or other condition. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health and ask your doctor any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. In addition to all other limitations and disclaimers in this agreement, service provider and its third party providers disclaim any liability or loss in connection with the content provided on this website.

 

Last Updated on July 25, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD