Do laws restricting access to firearms by domestic violence offenders prevent intimate partner homicide?

Eval Rev. 2006 Jun;30(3):313-46. doi: 10.1177/0193841X06287307.

Abstract

Domestic violence imposes a large cost on society. The authors exploit state variation in timing to examine the impact of three types of law on intimate partner homicides. These laws restrict access to firearms by individuals who are subject to a restraining order or have been convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor or allow law enforcement officers to confiscate firearms at a domestic violence scene. The authors find that female intimate partner homicide rates decline 7% after a state passes a restraining order law. They find no effect from the domestic violence misdemeanor or confiscation laws.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Criminal Law*
  • Data Collection
  • Domestic Violence / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Domestic Violence / statistics & numerical data
  • Federal Government
  • Female
  • Firearms / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Homicide / prevention & control*
  • Homicide / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Law Enforcement*
  • Male
  • Poisson Distribution
  • Public Policy*
  • Social Justice / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Spouse Abuse / prevention & control*
  • Spouse Abuse / statistics & numerical data
  • State Government
  • United States