For Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we're bringing attention to the ways that firearm-related domestic violence impacts maternal and child health in the United States.
In the United States, health complications aren't the leading cause of death for pregnant and postpartum people. Homicide is. These murders are usually perpetrated by intimate partners or men that the victims know, and guns play a pivotal role. One study found that 68% of pregnancy-related homicides involved a firearm.
These situations also carry a high risk of collateral violence, or violence against someone other than the intimate partner. Roughly 20% of people killed in domestic violence incidents are “collateral” victims, and children are particularly vulnerable. One out of four collateral victims are children or youth. Guns have become the leading cause of death for children in the United States, and domestic violence plays a role in that statistic. Almost one in three children under the age of thirteen who are killed by firearms are killed in a domestic violence-related incident.
It is also important to note that pregnant and postpartum people who belong to groups that have experienced systemic injustices are more at risk of this kind of violence. Indigenous women experience the highest rates of domestic violence, at a rate 5 times higher than white women. Black women experience DV at a rate 2.5 times higher than white women.
In order to address domestic violence as a public health crisis, we must prioritize gun violence prevention and address the root causes of this violence.
If you or someone you love is struggling with domestic violence, call the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233), or visit our member organization Jane Doe's website for more MA resources.
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