A recent study from the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center at Rutgers University reveals that 92% of gun owners have never used their firearms for self-defense. Surprisingly, less than 1% of respondents reported having done so within the last year, despite many experiencing gun violence across their lives. The comprehensive national study surveyed 8,009 adults, highlighting how perceptions of safety and distrust in others correlate with firearm ownership.
Michael Anestis, the study’s lead researcher, stresses that most firearm use is geared towards target practice and hunting, and that guns are more often linked to suicides and unintentional injuries than defensive situations. The findings raise important questions about the narrative surrounding firearms as a means of personal safety, especially as people who carry guns tend to perceive threats more readily. The research serves as a call for informed decisions about firearm ownership based on actual data rather than societal assumptions.
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