Studies of intimate partner homicide have repeatedly suggested that gun accessibility increases the risk that a confrontation between intimates will end in the death of one partner, usually the woman. In the larger arena of gun accessibility research, experts have posited opposing conclusions about how gun accessibility affects the risk of homicide in the population overall. This thesis is an attempt to build a bridge between literature linking gun access to increased intimate partner homicide and literature exploring the effect of gun availability on homicide in general. Based on previous research, the current study poses the two hypotheses: (I) Gun accessibility is a stronger predictor of intimate partner homicide than non- intimate partner homicide and (II) Gun accessibility is a stronger predictor of intimate partner homicide of women than intimate partner homicide of men. My analysis is consistent with hypothesis II and offers no support for hypothesis I.

Amanda Brown Cross, PhD (University of Maryland, USA) is an Associate Social/Behavioral Scientist at the RAND Corporation. Her research interests and experience are in the areas of school- and community-based prevention and intervention for youth at risk of violence, school failure, substance abuse or delinquency.