An average of 24 people per minute are victims of sexual assault, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in this country. Domestic violence does not discriminate by gender, age or ZIP code – and we also know that domestic violence and access to an unsecured firearm are the two leading indicators of intimate partner murder.
Firearms are used to commit more than three in five intimate partner homicides in the U.S.
These statistics are devastating, but they also point to opportunities for prevention, particularly two common-sense policies.
Extreme Risk Protection Order laws empower families, survivors, and law enforcement to step in when someone may be a threat to themselves or others and prevent someone, who a court deems dangerous, from accessing firearms. Secure storage can introduce enough time delay and physical barriers to disrupt instances of impulsive or emotion-driven acts of violence enough to prevent them.
This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, let’s talk openly about firearm access, secure storage, Extreme Risk Protection Orders, and the practical steps that can help keep people alive long enough for a crisis to pass.
There are two concrete things you can do:
- Secure your firearm today and talk to friends and family who own firearms about the importance of secure storage.
- Learn how Extreme Risk Protection Orders work so when you see a loved one in crisis and you know they have a firearm, you can help.
If you or someone you love needs support, help is available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233.
Our work to prevent gun deaths at the Alliance is made possible thanks to support from people like you. If you’d like to join our efforts, you can click here to donate.
Thank you,
Alliance for Gun Responsibility
ALLIANCE FOR GUN RESPONSIBILITY
P.O. Box 4187 Seattle, WA 98194