A new study from Rutgers University highlights that less than 1% of individuals with firearm access actually use their weapons for self-defense in any given year. The research, which surveyed over 8,000 adults, found that a significant majority, about 92%, have never utilized their firearms in a defensive manner, contrasting sharply with the common perception of guns as primary tools for personal protection.
Michael Anestis, executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center and lead author of the study, emphasizes that adults with access to firearms are far more likely to encounter gun violence than to use their guns defensively. Alarmingly, over one-third of respondents reported knowing someone who had died by firearm suicide, while nearly a third had heard gunshots in their neighborhoods over the past year. This raises important questions about the narratives surrounding defensive gun use and the potential need for more comprehensive policy considerations.
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