Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and firearm violence are two persistent public health issues in the United States. Because more women experience IPV than men, and more men own firearms than women, more research is needed to examine the association between in-home firearm accessibility and physical IPV among female college students. This study examined the factors associated with physical IPV among 427 unmarried, heterosexual, female college students in Florida. Cross-sectional data were collected from Fall 2012 to Summer 2013 using an internet-delivered questionnaire. The outcome was self-reported physical IPV, and the primary predictor was in-home firearm access. Binary logistic regression with backwards listwise entry method was applied fitting age, ethnicity, race, relationship status, residency status, sorority affiliation, having ≥4 binge drinking episodes, and experience of unwanted sex. Over 10% of participants reported experiencing physical IPV, 19.0% had in-home firearm access, and 8.2% reported unwanted sex. The final logistic regression model indicated that participants with in-home firearm access (OR=2.54, p=0.011), in a single, committed/steady relationship (OR=2.35, p=0.023), and those who experienced unwanted sex (OR=1.18, pFindings from this cross-sectional study suggest that female college students in situations prone to IPV may involve the presence of a firearm. Alternatively, findings may suggest that those who experienced IPV may seek security by having access to a firearm in their homes. Future research is needed to examine this relationship and develop appropriate IPV prevention interventions for female college students.

Keywords: In-home Firearm Accessibility, Physical IPV, Intimate Partner Violence, Violence against Women, College Students

How to Cite:

Myint, W., Zaman, A., Menn, M. A. & Smith, M. L., (2025) “In-Home Access to a Firearm and Intimate Partner Violence among Female College Students”, Health Behavior Research 8(4). doi: https://doi.org/10.4148/2572-1836.1337