摘要：Objectives . We assessed weapon use in intimate partner violence and perspectives on hypothetical firearm policies. Methods . We conducted structured in-person interviews with 417 women in 67 battered women’s shelters. Results . Words, hands/fists, and feet were the most common weapons used against and by battered women. About one third of the battered women had a firearm in the home. In two thirds of these households, the intimate partner used the gun(s) against the woman, usually threatening to shoot/kill her (71.4%) or to shoot at her (5.1%). Most battered women thought spousal notification/consultation regarding gun purchase would be useful and that a personalized firearm (“smart gun”) in the home would make things worse. Conclusions . A wide range of objects are used as weapons against intimate partners. Firearms, especially handguns, are more common in the homes of battered women than in households in the general population. More than 1.5 million physical or sexual assaults are committed by current or former intimate partners each year in the United States, and 1 in 4 women report having been harmed by an intimate partner during their lifetime. 1 About one half of the female victims sustain an injury, but only about 20% of those who are injured seek medical treatment. 2 Even so, US emergency departments treat nearly 250 000 patients—mostly women—annually for injuries inflicted by an intimate partner. 2 Women injured by intimate partners account for about 1 in 5 hospital emergency department visits for intentional injury. 2 Because weapons increase the ability to inflict harm, it would be useful to know more about objects that are used as weapons against intimate partners. Far less is understood about the means than about the results (i.e., the medical outcomes) of weapon-related violence. Of particular interest are firearms, because they have a higher case fatality rate than other means of inflicting assaultive injury. 3, 4 In addition, firearms are among the few weapons that are subject to purchase or possession restrictions. The primary objectives of the present study were twofold: (1) to investigate the range of weapons used and the relative frequency with which weapons are used against intimate partners and (2) to describe firearm prevalence and use in intimate partner violence. In addition, we assessed battered women’s perspectives on firearm-related policies that would affect them directly. To obtain such information, we interviewed residents of battered women’s shelters—women who were likely to be representative of those who have experienced substantial amounts of violence and who have had various objects used against them by an intimate partner.
