Firearm Incidents in the Context of Domestic Violence are the Focus of the New Armed Violence Monitor Report
SEESAC's latest In Focus Armed Violence Monitor centres around firearm incidents in the context of domestic violence in South East Europe (SEE) in 2020.
By providing an overview of firearm-related incidents committed by intimate partners and other close family members, the Monitor gives an insight into the use of firearms in the domestic setting and its disproportionate consequences on women, particularly in the context of intimate partner violence.
The key highlights from this issue include:
84 firearm incidents in the context of domestic violence were reported in SEE in 2020, of which 49 were committed by intimate partners and 35 by other family members.
41 firearm-related deaths in the context of domestic violence were reported, which is more than in any other type of incident recorded by the AVMP.
Of 110 victims of firearm incidents in the context of domestic violence, sex was reported for 104 (94.5%), of whom 65 (62.5%) were women, and 39 (37.1%) were men.
92.3% of women were killed with firearms in the context of domestic violence, out of all women killed with firearms in 2020.
65.4% of women were killed by their male intimate partner. In the same period, no men were killed with firearms by their partners.
In cases in which perpetrators used firearms against members of their nuclear or extended family, 12 men and five women died, 11 men and three women were threatened, two men and one woman were injured.
Of all 86 perpetrators of domestic violence incidents involving firearms and whose sex was known, 85 (99%) were men compared to only one woman (1%), clearly documenting highly gendered patterns of firearm misuse in the domestic violence setting. When the age was known, perpetrators were mainly aged 36-60.
Handguns were the most used weapons, being reported in nearly 50% (37) of all incidents.
Firearm incidents in the domestic context in urban areas (59 or 70.2%) were more frequently reported than those in rural areas (25 or 29.8%).
53 incidents (76.8%) occurred at homes.
To read the report, please click here.
About the Armed Violence Monitoring Platform (AVMP)
The Armed Violence Monitoring Platform (AVMP) has been established by SEESAC with EU funding within the framework of EU Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/2356 and is currently supported through EU Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/2111, in support of SEESAC disarmament and arms control activities in South-East Europe.
The AVMP captures data on firearm-related incidents happening in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo* and the Republic of Moldova.
The data is gathered daily from the relevant authorities' official websites, as well as print and online media. The collected data range from the type of incident, firearms used, age and gender of the victim and the perpetrator, outcome of the incident. etc. Basic data analysis is also provided for various data sets aiming to discover trends related to the incidents. Quality assurance is conducted rigorously by SEESAC. The platform has seen significant improvements in recent years in terms of data collection and categorization.
The purpose of the AVMP is to make essential data available to all interested parties working on small arms and light weapons control. The AVMP can serve as an informative tool for interventions with the overarching goal of a more effective response on arms control and the reduction of their negative impact on civilians.
*References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999)