Female gun owners: Differences by household and personal gun ownership

ABSTRACT

This study examines (1) how female personal gun owners, female household gun owners, and female non-owners differ in demographic characteristics, handgun exposure and gun-related attitudes; and (2) how these differences vary from those for males. Data were obtained from a nationwide web survey, involving 390 female respondents and 134 male respondents, in 2016. Results indicated that female personal gun owners hold more pro-gun attitudes than female household gun owners and non-owners. Female non-owners had less exposure to guns than female household gun owners while female household owners had less exposure to guns than female personal owners. Variations by type of gun exposure, namely exposure to known persons with guns versus strangers with guns, were observed. Prior victimization was influential for female gun attitudes, but not male gun attitudes. Exposure to a known-person with a handgun was related to female gun attitudes, but not male gun attitudes.

KEYWORDS:

• Firearms
• Gender
• Attitudes
• Gun ownership
• Exposure

Highlights

• Female personal gun owners held more pro-gun attitudes than household gun owners.

• Female household owners had less exposure to guns than female personal owners.

• Personal gun owners had higher exposure to handguns than other owners.

• Prior victimization was influential for females, but not males.

• Known-person handgun exposure was observed for females, but not males.

Supplementary material

The supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a Research Development Grant funded by Penn State Altoona.