The Nature of Explicit and Implicit Firearm Threat by Intimate Partners Across the Life Course Among Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

Objective: The objectives of the study are, among women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV), to document the prevalence of explicit and implicit firearm threat across the life course, determine if threat type differentiates women on various characteristics and IPV experiences, elucidate firearm threat incident characteristics, and describe women's perceptions of their partners' willingness to use a firearm against them. Method: Women (N = 258, M-age = 40.1 years, 43.8% Black) who reported experiencing physical or psychological IPV were recruited from the community, mainly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Retrospective data on firearm threats were collected during individual interviews. Results: Of participants, 35% reported experiencing firearm threats by an intimate partner during their lifetime. Participants experienced 9.1 (SD = 24.3) instances of firearm threat, on average. Participants who experienced implicit firearm threat only were not significantly different from those who experienced explicit threat on various characteristics and IPV experiences. Most incidents took place in private locations when no one else was around. Partners were described as "angry/irrational/extremely upset" during 68.7% of incidents and "calm" during 38.6% of incidents and, separately, were reported to be under the influence of alcohol/drugs in 49.4% of incidents. One fourth of participants believed their partner would be willing to use a gun against them. Conclusions: Findings underscore the need for stronger attention to implicit firearm threat in practice and policy. Clinically, there is a need to advance training of providers to raise awareness of explicit and implicit firearm threats and recognize the heterogeneity of incident characteristics as it has implications for survivor-centered practices.