About the Study : Do US women’s perceptions of safety vary based on their exposure to guns? In this survey study using a nationally representative sample of 1411 women, 41% reported that personally owning a gun would make them safer, and 21% would feel safer if more people could legally carry guns. Perceptions of safety were higher among women who owned guns than those who did not. These findings indicate a need for gun violence reduction interventions to consider different safety perceptions related to gun exposure.
Related Commentary:
This Original Investigation is accompanied by an Invited Commentary .
Related JAMA Network Content:
The 2025 JAMA Summit Report on Reducing Firearm Violence and Harms
Corresponding Author : To interview Cassandra K. Crifasi, PhD, MPH, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, email Joseph McHugh ( joemchugh@jhu.edu ).
10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.25985
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