School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, 650 Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, USA.. sorenson@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.