Download This PaperBang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down): How Federal and State Gun Control Measures Have Failed Victims of Domestic Violence
28 Pages Posted: 8 May 2020
Date Written: April 14, 2020
Abstract
While numerous factors impact perpetrators of mass shootings, perhaps the most egregious omission from the ongoing gun control debate is the effect of past domestic abuse and misogyny on shooters’ violent impulses. Furthermore, research shows that many, if not all, recent high-profile perpetrators are men with histories of domestic, sexual, or psychological violence against women. Finally, many United States “red flag” laws are designed to temporarily prohibit domestic abusers from possessing firearms during the terms of their protective orders, ensuring that abusers regain access to dangerous weapons after a brief “slap on the wrist.” This Article, prepared for consideration to the 2019 edition of Southern University Law Center's Journal of Race, Gender & Poverty, examines these distinct issues and proposes model statutes aimed at alleviating them.
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