Keeping guns out of the hands of abusers: handgun purchases and restraining orders.
Persons under certain domestic violence restraining orders are prohibited by federal law from purchasing and possessing a firearm. We used administrative data from California to link 794426 restraining orders with 1388724 handgun purchase applications. We found that restrained persons were not a less law-abiding group in general, but they appeared to be repeatedly or serially abusive to intimate partners, and their handgun purchase rates were highest after their restraining orders expired.
Vittes
Katherine A
KA
School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania, 3815 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6179, USA.
Sorenson
Susan B
SB
D002140:California; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014754:Violence / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000517:prevention & control*