Lifetime and Past-Year Defensive Gun Use

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Criminology
• Sociology

Background:

• Defensive gun use (DGU) is frequently cited to justify permissive firearm-carrying policies.
• However, there is a lack of consensus regarding the actual frequency of DGU.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the frequency of DGU in comparison to gun violence exposure (GVE).
• To analyze data from a nationally representative sample of US adults with firearm access.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional, self-reported survey was administered to US adults with firearm access.
• Data were collected via KnowledgePanel between May 15-28, 2024, with analysis from July-September 2024.
• Primary outcomes included four forms of DGU: verbal threat, firearm display, firing in vicinity, and firing at a threat.

Main Results:

• Of 3000 participants with firearm access, 91.7% reported no lifetime DGU.
• Showing a firearm to a perceived threat was the most common DGU (4.7% lifetime).
• Gun violence exposure (GVE) was significantly more prevalent than DGU, both lifetime and in the past year.

Conclusions:

• Defensive gun use (DGU) is rare among firearm owners when compared to gun violence exposure (GVE).
• The findings challenge narratives that center DGU in firearm policy discussions, suggesting a potential misrepresentation of firearm access risks.
• The substantial GVE highlights broader public health concerns related to firearms.