How Frequently Are Guns Used For Self-Defense? Breaking Down The Stats
Gun ownership has always been a sensitive and contentious matter especially when
self-defense is the topic of discussion. The gun fanatics and enthusiasts
advocate and propose that acquiring a gun helps people to protect themselves
and their loved ones. According to the Second Amendment Act, every citizen of
the USA has the right to acquire a gun. The gun lovers and manufacturers want
to pitch this idea and want to blow it out of proportion that having a firearm
is a great way to defend yourself, your loved ones and others around you from
any kind of danger, assault or homicide. But is that really true?
According to another survey conducted by the
National Crime Victimization Survey from 2007 to 2011, only 0.9 percent of the
people actually defended against a crime with a firearm. The benefits that we
can want to reap with owning a gun are far outweighed by the negative
effects. An average person doesn’t ever
get a chance to use California legal guns to protect themselves against any danger but
the chances of using a firearm wrongfully is almost every single day!
Defining Defensive Gun Use (DGU)
Before diving into the numbers, it's essential to
define what constitutes a defensive gun use. The term refers to instances where
a firearm is used to protect oneself, another person, or property from harm,
theft, or aggression. Importantly, the mere display of a firearm to ward off a
threat can be classified as defensive use, even if the gun is not fired. This
broad definition can significantly influence the number of reported DGUs, as
not every incident results in injury or death.
The
National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
According to the National Crime Victimization Survey
from 2007 to 2011, only 0.9 percent of the people actually defended against a
crime with a firearm. There are around 100,000
to 120,000 defensive gun uses per year in the United States. This figure
comes from survey responses where victims report using a gun to defend
themselves during a criminal encounter.
The Kleck
and Gertz Study
On the other side of the spectrum is a study
conducted by criminologists Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz in 1995, which has become
one of the most controversial pieces of research on defensive gun use. The
estimated data of Kleck-Gertz suggest a whopping number of over 200k attackers
shot by civilians but the number of people killed, hospitalized or treated for
gun wounds is nearly half of it! However, many experts criticize the Kleck and
Gertz study for what they see as methodological flaws.
One of the primary criticisms is that the study
relied on a relatively small sample size and extrapolated the results to the
entire U.S. population. Critics also argue that survey respondents may
exaggerate or misremember incidents, leading to inflated numbers. Additionally,
some argue that respondents could have included non-criminal situations (e.g.,
disputes between neighbors or family members) that might not qualify as
legitimate self-defense.
Best Weapons for Self-Defense
Now that we have somewhat come to a reasonable
number for self-defense
with firearms , we now need to pay heed to the guns that actually
qualify to be defensive firearms. Self-defense basically means defending your
personal belongings like your property, home, car, office, shop or your own
personal self. For properties, a handgun like a pistol or revolver won’t be
enough; you'd need something like a rifle or shotgun. In order to get these you
need to have California
legal guns to stay out of legal
trouble. Same goes for California legal rifles, they need to be California compliant in
order to qualify as a self-defense weapon.
Conclusion
When it comes to how frequently guns are used for self-defense, the numbers vary widely depending on the source and the methodology used. While studies like the NCVS estimate around 100,000 to 120,000 DGUs per year, other research, like the Kleck and Gertz study, suggests that the number could be as high as 2.5 million. The truth likely lies somewhere in between, and the discrepancies highlight the need for more comprehensive and transparent data collection on defensive gun use.
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