Reduce Risk – Increase Safety – project overview

Women are far more often victims of firearm misuse in the context of domestic violence and intimate partner violence. The misuse of firearms is not restricted to homicides only. Firearms are often used as a means to intimidate, threaten, commit psychological violence, rape and sexual abuse, exert control over the victim, as well as for other forms of violence. These forms of violence mainly occur in the private sphere, within the household and at home, and due to a high level of social tolerance of firearm possession on the one hand and domestic violence on the other, these cases are rarely reported to competent institutions. Therefore, in families and intimate partner relationships where abusers have access to a firearm, there is a high risk that the firearm will be misused and result in extremely severe consequences.