Intimate Partner Violence and Firearms

A firearm increases the likelihood that intimate partner violence will become deadly.

Each year in the United States, more than 17 million adults – about 7% of women and men – experience some form of intimate partner violence (IPV), which includes physical violence (being slapped, pushed, or shoved), sexual violence, and/or stalking.¹ A gun makes it much more likely that this violence will turn deadly.^2-4 The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends that clinicians screen all women of reproductive age for IPV.⁵ Clinicians should also be prepared to discuss protective orders and the importance of removing a firearm from a violent situation.

The Numbers

More than 110 million people in the US (almost 5 in 10 women and over 4 in 10 men) experience some form of IPV in their lifetimes. Three in 10 women and more than 2 in 10 men experience severe physical violence (being hit with a fist or something hard, being kicked, or having a weapon like a gun or knife used on them) at the hands of an intimate partner.¹ About 115 million (almost 5 in 10 women and over 4 in 10 men) also experience psychological aggression by an intimate partner, such as verbal or emotional abuse, or behaviors that aim to monitor, control, or threaten.¹

Firearms play a significant role in IPV in the United States. When an abuser has direct access to a gun, the victim’s risk of homicide increases by 11-fold.³ Approximately 50% of reported intimate partner homicides are by firearm.⁴ Though females who are victimized by male partners may acquire firearms for protection against their partners,⁷ this ownership is not protective.^2,8 Research suggests females who purchase handguns are at higher risk of firearm homicide for years following the purchase. One possible explanation for this increased risk is that these purchases increase abusers’ access to firearms.^8,9

Three in 10 women and more than 2 in 10 men will experience severe physical violence at the hands of their intimate partner in their lifetimes.¹

Guns are not only used as lethal weapons in intimate partner violence. They are also commonly used to coerce, threaten, and terrorize victims, resulting in lasting psychological damage. Research shows that about 4.5 million American women have had an intimate partner threaten them with a gun, and nearly 1 million American women alive today have been shot or shot at by an intimate partner.¹⁰ Those who have been threatened with a gun are also at higher risk of later being shot.

There is also evidence of a link between intimate partner violence and mass shootings.¹¹ A recent study analyzed mass shootings (in which 4 or more people were killed, in a public or private place) across a six-year period and found that in 68% of mass shootings, the perpetrator killed an intimate partner or family member or had a history of IPV.¹¹

Who’s at Risk

Both men and women experience IPV, but women are more likely than men to be killed by intimate partners.¹⁰ Women and men who are younger, lower income, members of racial/ethnic minority groups, and/or live with disabilities are disproportionately at risk for IPV.^1,6,12,13 The lifetime prevalence of IPV among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people is as high or higher than the US general population.¹⁴

There is a heightened risk of IPV before and during pregnancy and after childbirth.¹⁵ Homicide is the leading cause of death during pregnancy and the postpartum period for US women, with rates twice as high as other causes of death. Younger and non-Hispanic Black women are at higher risk.¹⁶

Other risk factors for IPV victimization include past violent victimization, relationship strain, and substance misuse.¹⁷ Being threatened with a gun and/or threatened with death by a partner is a predictor of intimate partner homicide.²

The risk of experiencing IPV also extends to teens. Teen dating violence (TDV) is a type of intimate partner violence experienced by teenagers in dating relationships that includes physical, sexual, or psychological aggression.¹⁸ A recent survey of US high school students found that among students who dated someone in the past year, 14% experienced TDV in the last 12 months, including physical TDV (9%), sexual TDV (10%), or both types (4%).¹⁹ All types of TDV were higher for female versus male students and for students who identified as LGB, questioning, or other (LGBQ+).¹⁹

What You Can Do

Clinicians are in a unique position to intervene and help a patient experiencing IPV, a major health problem for adults and adolescents in the US. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends that all women of reproductive age be screened for intimate partner violence and that those who screen positive be referred to support services.⁵ The physician’s role in cases of suspected IPV involving firearms generally includes screening, identification, mandatory reporting when indicated, counseling regarding risk factors, safety planning, and engaging expert advocates when desired by the patient.²⁰

If someone screens positive for intimate partner violence, then clinicians should follow up with questions about firearms, including if there are firearms in the home or if the abuser has access to firearms. Screening is an opportunity to educate patients about risks as well as a chance to gather important information to better assist them. IPV screening can also help identify and prevent other adverse outcomes, including depression, anxiety disorders, risky substance use, and suicidality.⁵

In addition to screening, clinicians can provide information about domestic violence restraining orders (DVROs) and other types of civil protective orders that prohibit the potentially dangerous person from having contact with a potential victim and from purchasing or possessing firearms and ammunition. Clinicians may not be able to petition for protective orders on behalf of a patient. However, they should be aware of the types of orders available and be ready to discuss them with patients.

DVROs are available to those at risk of IPV to protect against further abuse by initiating a firearm removal from an abuser and creating no-contact and stay-away provisions.²¹ Clinicians should consider, however, that some patients may not feel that restraining orders are the safest option: leaving an abusive relationship can inflame the situation, order durations are finite, and victims may face retaliation if their abusers discover plans to leave or to file a restraining order. Additionally, not all patients will trust that the courts or law enforcement will be protective. Some may prefer to find support through community-based service providers.

Therefore, physicians are well-advised to rely on trained experts in IPV services, particularly when designing exit plans or intervention strategies, and refer patients to programs such as the National Domestic Violence Hotline rather than give their own advice regarding legal courses of action.²⁰

If the sole objective is to remove firearms from a dangerous situation, extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) or “red flag” orders in some states, prohibit firearm possession and purchase. However, unlike DVROs, these orders do not include no-contact or stay-away provisions.

Lisa Geller from the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence contributed to this content.

Page last updated August 2025.

For more information, see these peer-reviewed articles.

Websdale, N., Ferraro, K., & Barger, S. D. (2019). The domestic violence fatality review clearinghouse: introduction to a new National Data System with a focus on firearms. Injury Epidemiology.

Zeoli, A. M., Frattaroli, S., Roskam, K., et al. (2019). Removing Firearms From Those Prohibited From Possession by Domestic Violence Restraining Orders: A Survey and Analysis of State Laws. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse.

Sorenson, S. B., & Schut, R. A. (2018). Nonfatal Gun Use in Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse.

Alvarez, C., Fedock, G., Grace, K. T., et al. (2016). Provider Screening and Counseling for Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Review of Practices and Influencing Factors. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse.

Zeoli, A. M., Malinski, R., & Turchan, B. (2016). Risks and Targeted Interventions: Firearms in Intimate Partner Violence. Epidemiologic Reviews.