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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Emily F. Rothman, ScD¹, Renee M. Johnson, PhD, MPH², and David Hemenway, PhD². (1) Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Talbot 253 West, Boston, MA 02118, 617-414-1385, emfaith@aol.com, (2) Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115

Background and Purpose: Batterers with access to firearms present a serious lethal threat to their partners. The purpose of this exploratory study was to estimate the prevalence of and risk markers for gun possession among Massachusetts men enrolled in batterer intervention programs. Specifically, the aims of this research were to (a) estimate the proportion of male attendees of Massachusetts batterer intervention programs who report having firearms in or around their homes and (b) identify demographic and behavioral risk markers within this group associated with having a gun at home.

Methods: Our dataset included the population of individuals entering Massachusetts batterer intervention programs between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2005 (N=6,127). We assessed gun possession following criminal conviction for domestic violence offense and independent variables through a self-report survey. Frequencies and proportions were calculated. A bivariate generalized linear regression model (GLM) was used to estimate the prevalence of having a gun in or around the home for individuals with a given characteristic (e.g., military service) relative to individuals without that characteristic.

Results: We found that 1.8% of the men reported having a gun in or around their home. Those most likely to report having a gun were White, earned $25,000 or more per year, had served in the military, engaged in problem gambling, and had attempted homicide or threatened their partner with a firearm. Recommendations for strengthening relevant gun laws both within and outside of Massachusetts are discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to

(
• Recognize “loopholes” in existing laws that restrict batterers’ access to firearms (
• Discuss risk markers for gun possession among a sample of batterers convicted of intimate partner violence offenses in Massachusetts (
• List ways that existing gun laws could be strengthened to protect victims of intimate partner violence from gun-related threats or shootings by batterers

Keywords: Domestic Violence, Firearms

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation