Exploring the Links

Résumé du livre

This report explores the role and use of guns as instruments of control, intimidation, and abuse in rural family violence situations. It draws on a review of the literature and interviews with service providers and women from transition houses in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, Canada. It also discusses the use of guns to threaten family pets and farm animals, and how the presence of guns in a situation of abuse influences women's decision-making. This study makes a significant contribution to family violence research by demonstrating that cultural factors play a critical role in understanding the nature of, and response to, firearms victimisation. Along with a rural culture that fosters rigid gender roles, privacy, and victim blame, the presence of guns acts as a further strong disincentive to disclosure by rural women experiencing abuse.