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Susan B. Sorenson, PhD and Douglas J. Wiebe, PhD

Susan B. Sorenson is with the School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles. At the time of the study, Douglas J. Wiebe was with the School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Susan B. Sorenson, PhD, UCLA School of Public Health, 650 Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772 (e-mail: sorenson{at}ucla.edu).

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.

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