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A new study from Rutgers Health’s New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center reveals that individuals with firearm access are significantly more likely to experience gun violence than to use their weapons for self-defense. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, indicates that less than 1% of firearm owners engage in defensive gun use in any given year.
The study, conducted in May 2024, surveyed 8,009 adults nationwide, with 3,000 reporting firearm access. The findings highlight a stark contrast between perceived and actual defensive gun use. Approximately 92% of firearm owners reported never using their weapons for self-defense, while less than 1% reported doing so in the past year.
“Adults with firearm access are far more likely to be exposed to gun violence than they are to defend themselves with their firearms,” stated Michael Anestis, executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center at Rutgers and lead author of the study. “It’s not that defensive gun use never happens, but the notion that firearm owners are routinely saving their own lives or those of their loved ones by using a firearm in self-defense simply is not backed up by the data.”
The study also examined exposure to other forms of gun violence. Over one-third (34.4%) of respondents reported knowing someone who died by firearm suicide, and 32.7% reported hearing gunshots in their neighborhood within the past year. While only 2.1% reported being shot themselves, a significant 59.5% of defensive gun use incidents where a shot was fired occurred among those who had previously been shot.
Researchers identified several factors associated with increased likelihood of defensive gun use, including previous exposure to gun violence, frequent firearm carrying, and storing firearms loaded and unlocked. “If individuals themselves have experienced gun violence or they more frequently have quick and ready access to their firearms, they may be more prone to perceiving threats and responding through the use of their firearm,” Anestis explained.
The researchers caution that perceived threats do not always equate to actual threats, and that firearms are not always necessary for defense. “When defensive gun use occurs, we should not necessarily conclude that the result was a life saved that otherwise would have been lost,” Anestis said.
The study’s findings suggest a need to reevaluate the perceived benefits of firearm ownership for self-defense, emphasizing the far more frequent occurrences of gun violence exposure.
More information: Lifetime and Past-Year Defensive Gun Use, JAMA Network Open (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.0807
Disclaimer: This news article is based on the provided information and should not be interpreted as an endorsement or condemnation of any specific viewpoint on gun ownership or gun control. The study’s findings present data related to defensive gun use and gun violence exposure, and readers are encouraged to consider the information in the context of broader discussions on these topics. The interpretation and application of this research are subject to ongoing debate and varying perspectives.
