Experiences of Nonfatal Firearm Violence by DV Victims

Nonfatal firearm use in domestic violence (DV) is common and can have severe consequences for victim safety and well-being. A 2020 nationwide study of 958 adults who had experienced DV asked them to describe their experiences with nonfatal abuse by a perpetrator (Adhia, Lyons, Moe, Rowhani-Rahbar, & Rivara, 2021).

Consequences for the victim of nonfatal firearm violence included: feeling fearful, on guard/watchful/easily startled, splitting up with their partner, moving out of their home, going to a shelter, physical injury, contacting a crisis hotline, and missing days of work or school.

Another nationwide study in 2020 asked 171 victim service providers to describe their experiences with victims in which nonfatal firearm violence occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic (Lynch & Logan, 2021). The responses included information based on their knowledge of victim reports of perpetrator firearm access, firearm violence, and safety planning during the pandemic. Almost half the providers who were surveyed reported that perpetrato rs threatened to shoot the victim or others, such as strangers or mass shootings, and that this had become more frequent since the start of the pandemic. 

Firearm-related violence and its consequences are important topics for FAP personnel to be aware of. Even when DV incidents do not involve firearms, it is still important for FAP personnel to discuss nonfatal firearm violence with victims, as they could be involved in future incidents of escalating violence. FAP personnel can work together to provide Army-specific risk factors for the safety of potential or actual victims of nonfatal firearm-related violence.