Armed violence affects us all. Men dominate among gun owners, as well as among both victims and perpetrators of gun violence. Women own a small number of guns, hardly ever misuse them, but are disproportionately represented among victims.
Among cases where the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim was known, over 40% involved friends or acquaintances, and 30% involved blood relatives or spouses.
Suicides account for 2/3 of all gun deaths in South East Europe. Every fourth death is a homicide. Every twelfth death is the result of an accident.
1243 gun-related incidents were reported by the media in 2017 throughout the region. These involved armed robberies, weapons seizures, accidental and celebratory shootings etc. In these incidents, 230 people were either killed or committed suicide with a gun.
59% of people who responded they had a gun pointed at them would own a gun. 1 in 3 respondents in South East Europe would own a gun for “protection/safety”.
Source: UNDP SEESAC Perceptions Survey
In domestic violence cases, if the abuser owns a gun, the victim is 12 times more likely to be killed. Gun violence at home affects children, family members, friends. 61% of women would feel unsafe having a gun at home.
Source: UNDP SEESAC Gender and SALW Study
5 out of the 6 deadliest mass shootings that occurred in Serbia since 2000 were a direct result of the misuse of guns in domestic violence or involved the murder of a family member or former/current intimate partner. In these 5 shootings, a total of 40 people were murdered and 28 wounded, with women accounting for the majority (55%) of victims. In at least 3 cases there was evidence that, prior to the shooting, the criminal had a history of domestic violence.
Source: UNDP SEESAC Gender and SALW Study
Out of the 29% of people who would own a gun, the majority is aged 16-24. Young men also comprise the majority of those who feel safe having a gun at home. They also predominate among both victims and perpetrators of gun violence. Young men make up the majority of people who have experienced gun violence in the last years. One in 3 men who have been killed or injured with a gun since 2012 is aged 15-36.
Source: UNDP SEESAC Perceptions Survey and SALW survey
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