1. Safety Planning when Firearms are Present – For IPV Advocates
Kristine Lizdas, J.D.
Alicia B. Nichols, LSW
National Domestic Violence and Firearms Resource Center
Battered Women’s Justice Project
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2. Safer Families, Safer Communities 2019©
OVW DISCLAIMER
This project was supported by Grant No TA-AX-K047 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this program are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.
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3. Talking About Guns with Survivors
Recognize specific indicators of lethal risk of firearm violence to survivors.
Assist survivors in determining the associated safety implications.
Avoid placing survivors in the position of feeling responsible for the offenders' acts of violence or possession of firearms.
Protect and prioritize survivors’ autonomy.
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4. Your experience as an Advocate
What goes through your mind when survivors talk about guns?
When does the possibility of a mass shooting cross your mind when you’re talking to somebody?
Does the survivor raise the issue? Do you recognize ‘red flags’ during the conversation on your own?
Has this changed over time for you?
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5. Safer Families, Safer Communities 2019©
I. Impact on Women
“The picture that emerges from When Men Murder Women is that women face the greatest threat from someone they know, most often a spouse or intimate acquaintance, who is armed with a gun.”
Violence Policy Center, 2018
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NOT BY STRANGERS
For homicides in which the victim to offender relationship could be identified, 93 percent of female victims were murdered by a male they knew. When Men Murder Women 2017
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Intimate Partners
For victims who knew their offenders, 64 percent of female homicide victims were wives or intimate acquaintances of their killers. When Men Murder Women 2017
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8. Guns as Weapon of Choice
For homicides in which the weapon could be determined, more female homicides were committed with firearms (55%) than with any other weapon. (Knives 20%, bodily force 11%, blunt object 6%). When Men Murder Women, 2017
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9. Domestic Violence + Guns = Fivefold Lethality
Where a Firearm is present in a domestic violence situation, the woman is five times more likely to be killed. Campbell 2003, Risk Factors for Femicide in Abusive Relationships
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10. Safer Families, Safer Communities 2019©
Guns in the Home
A woman living in a home with a gun is three times more likely to be murdered than a woman living in a home without guns. Douglas Wiebe, “Homicide and Suicide Risks Associated with Firearms in the Home: A National Case-Control Study.” (2003)
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11. Homicide as Motivation
In 84 percent of all incidents where the circumstances could be determined, these homicides were not related to the commission of any other felony, such as rape or robbery. When Men Murder Women 2017
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Argument Only
Nearly 64 percent were shot and killed by either their husband or intimate acquaintance during the course of an argument only. When Men Murder Women 2017
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Discussion
Which, if any, of the previous statistics surprise you?
Which do you find consistent with your professional experience?
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II. Impact on Others
Mass shootings are variously described as shooting of 3, 4, or sometimes more people in a single incident.
While mass shootings by any definition only account for less than 1% of all gun deaths, over half of them are linked to domestic violence.  Analysis of FBI data
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Residential
Over 70% of all mass shootings in this country occur within a residence. National Criminal Justice Reference Service
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Children
27 percent of people killed in mass shootings are children or teenagers. National Criminal Justice Reference Service
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Suicide
When a man brings a gun into a home, his chances of dying by suicide increase 700% within the first year. Wintemute 1999
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Murder - Suicide
Sixty-five percent of the murder-suicides involved an intimate partner. Of these, 96 percent were females killed by their intimate partners. Among the incidents where females were killed by intimate partners, 94 percent involved a gun.
American Roulette, Murder-Suicide in the United States, Violence Policy Center, 2018
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19. Danger Assessment Factors
Access to firearm
Unemployment
Increase in physical violence over past year
Threats to kill, including with weapon
From WA State GVRO statute
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20. Danger Assessment Factors
Forced sex
Strangling
Alcohol or illegal drugs
Controlling behavior
From WA State GVRO statute
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21. Danger Assessment Factors
Threats of suicide
Stalking
Past attempt to avoid arrest for DV
From WA State GVRO statute
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22. Factors Associated with Lethal Gun Violence
Recent act or threat of violence against self or others
Pattern of acts or threats of violence within the past 12 months
Violation of a protection order or no-contact order
Conviction for a crime of domestic violence 
From WA State GVRO statute
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23. Factors Associated with Lethal Gun Violence
Ownership, access to, or intent to possess firearms
Unlawful or reckless use, display, or brandishing of a firearm
History of use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force
History of stalking
Recent acquisition of firearms
From WA State GVRO statute
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Discussion
How does the potential for impact on others affect your approach to handling calls?
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25. III. Talking About Guns – Striking a Balance
Some Considerations when Discussing Firearms with DV Survivors:
Disclosure of Risks
Victim Autonomy
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Disclosure of Risks
Increased lethality when gun present
Impact on women when gun in the home
Potential for suicide
Risk to family and community
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Victim Autonomy
Disclosing presence of guns could increase danger for victim
Survivors are not “Canaries in a Coal Mine”
Confidentiality
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28. Safety-planning with survivors in these situations
Discussion
What do you need to know?
What does the survivor need to know?
Does the survivor have options?
What considerations do you have in discussing options?
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Canary in a Coal Mine
Emphasis on community or family safety may place the survivor in an impossible position: choose between personal safety or community safety.
Unfair burden
Focus on the Offender
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Hypothetical
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31. Hypothetical Scenario
Survivor is concerned about husband’s recent behavior. Married 4 years. 2 children, one from a previous relationship of hers (survivor’s).
Husband has been physically assaultive in the past – usually when he has had too much to drink.
Husband received alcohol treatment; abuse stopped for 1 year.
On last credit card statement, survivor noted purchase made at gun shop.
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32. Hypothetical Scenario
H has not owned firearms up to this point.
Survivor told H last night that she intends to file for divorce. Argument ensued. H took gun out of dresser and loaded it while at the kitchen table.
He told her he would never let her leave him for another man.
Said he would never allow his child to live in the home of another man.
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Questions to consider
How much danger do you think the survivor is in? Why?
How would you communicate your impressions to the survivor?
What sorts of safety planning might be useful?
What if we added additional facts to the hypothetical?
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34. Safer Families, Safer Communities 2019©
Conclusion
Access to firearms increases the potential for domestic violence to turn lethal. For this reason, access to firearms should be part of any DV/IPV safety planning. Additionally, the potential that other people may be endangered by the abuser with a gun cannot be overlooked. However, care should be exercised to not place the survivor in the untenable position between personal safety and an obligation to the community.
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Contact Us
Kristine Lizdas J.D. (612) ext. 105
Alicia B. Nichols, LSW.
(612) ext. 102
Website:
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Battered Women’s Justice Project Website: or (800)
Training, technical assistance, phone and in- person consultations, community assessments and text analyses
SAFeR, National Military and Veterans Advocacy Project, National Center on Protection Orders and Full Faith & Credit, National Civil and Criminal Resource Center
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