Did you know that Abused women are five times more likely to be killed by their abuser if the abuser owns a firearm? With this in mind, the U.S. Supreme court agreed in a unanimous ruling this past week, that makes it a crime for individuals convicted of domestic violence to have a gun. They concluded that the term “domestic violence” doesn’t just have to mean a violent physical assault, but can include things like pushing, slapping and grabbing. The justices concluded that minor uses of force like these could over time build up and contribute to one partner becoming subject to another’s control. The presence of a firearm increases the chances that when someone is violent, he or she might resort to homicide. In fact, statistics show that there is a 270% increase in likelihood that a woman will be murdered if a gun is present in the home. Specifically, between the years of 1980 and 2008 firearms killed more than 2/3 of divorced spouse homicide victims.
This federal ban strengthened the law by overturning decisions in parts of the country that said the gun ban only applied to convictions that involved “violent use of force”. Now it includes anyone convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence. The ultimate goal is to keep guns out of the hands of abusers for the safety of their intimate partners, children and families.
This ruling takes into consideration that there are signs of an abusive relationship that may not be physically violent, but could ultimately lead to disaster. Some of the signs to look for include:
1. Your intimate partner controls everything.
2. He/she yells at you and calls you names.
3. Your partner shoves, pinches, slaps or stalks you.
4. He/she threatens to hurt you, your family, the children or pets if you don’t do what he/she wants.
5. Substance abuse, unemployment, and/or depression.
An escalation of this type of non-violent domestic abuse is typical before the controlling partner snaps. The victim grows increasingly afraid, but doesn’t get out of the situation due to fear, financial instability, embarrassment or lack of a support network. Often times, the victim has been told that if she ever leaves, the abuser will kill her.
An abusive relationship is a serious matter. If you or someone you know is at risk, get help before it’s too late. Once the call to 911 is made, the police can’t ignore the situation but almost always must make an arrest. This will be followed up with some amount of jail time, fines, court mandated batterers intervention classes and a temporary restraining order. And, as previously discussed, the loss of the right to possess a gun. If you are an offender and a member of the military you might lose your career and military benefits. Future employers will see the offense on your record, which could affect hiring. It’s just a downward spiral for everyone involved.
Abusers can learn to break the cycle by getting one-on-one therapy, entering anger management classes or by taking a Batterers Intervention Program or Domestic Violence classes online. It is not a life sentence, but a behavior that can be overcome by utilizing various stress and anger management techniques. Take the challenge today to make a positive change and create a better future for yourself and loved ones.
