Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-nwzlb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T12:32:36.978Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 3 - A Matter of Survival: Non-lethal Firearm Violence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2015

Get access

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Not all gunshots kill. Many victims survive. This may sound like good news, but the consequences of firearm injuries can be severe. Treatment and recovery place a heavy burden on survivors, their families, communities, and society. Non-lethal firearm violence—often representing narrowly avoided homicide—is far more widespread than firearm death worldwide. Improved knowledge of the incidence and patterns of non-lethal firearm violence would clarify the overall burden of armed violence on society and underpin the development of effective responses. Yet our current understanding of non-lethal firearm injuries is limited, hampered by a lack of data.

This chapter reviews available data on the incidence of non-lethal firearm violence, focusing on interpersonal assaults committed in non-conflict settings. It includes an overview of estimates for countries in which data collection is relatively robust. It also highlights the need for improved incidence and trend monitoring. The main findings indicate that:

  • Worldwide, at least two million people—and probably many more—are living with firearm injuries sustained in non-conflict settings over the past decade. Their injuries generate considerable direct and indirect costs, such as those incurred through treatment, recovery, and lost productivity.

  • Available data suggests that shooting victims in countries with lower overall levels of firearm violence have a better chance of surviving their injuries.

  • Whether a firearm injury leads to severe disability or death is influenced by firearm type, ammunition velocity, and calibre, as well as the availability and quality of medical care, among other factors.

  • Robust data on non-lethal firearm violence is still relatively uncommon, and collected data rarely conforms to standardized coding protocol, limiting its comparability. The use of simple forms and relatively inexpensive injury surveillance techniques would greatly improve available information.

Type
Chapter
Information
Small Arms Survey 2012
Moving Targets
, pp. 78 - 105
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×