Misogyny And Gun Violence: Get Out Now

The reports used to trickle out periodically; now they’re a daily occurrence.  Mass shootings—Incidents where four or more individuals are injured or killed during a single violent shooting episode—have topped well over 700 incidents annually of late. The suffering of victims and their families is unimaginable.

What We Know 

Does it surprise anyone that there are more guns than people in America? Gun violence has escalated in the past decade, and in 2020 it was the leading cause of death for kids. Mass shootings are so common these days that some people are reluctant to enter public spaces, particularly those who live in the vicinity of a recent mass shooting like those in Uvalde, Texas or Sandy Hook, Connecticut. Why is this happening?  Are there deeper reasons for the violence we are seeing that simply the prevalence of firearms?  Sociologists have linked misogyny to both extremist ideologies and to violent behavior. This is what we know:

• Misogyny often plays a role in gun violence;
• About 4.5 million women have been threatened with gun violence, and over a quarter of them have been shot, or have been shot at, by intimate partners;
• Roughly 50 women are shot by intimate partners every month in America;
• Nearly 70 percent of the perpetrators of mass shootings injured or killed intimate partners or family in domestic violence incidents before committing the mass shooting;
• Since the mid 1960’s men committed a whopping 98 percent of mass shootings;
• Misogyny often leads to white supremacy, which both have a significant role in modern violence;
• A feeling of grievance fuels violent behaviors, and much of the time this fury is directed toward women and/or minorities and their unwillingness to remain “in their place.”
• There is a lack of rage when it comes to white male violence against women in this country, if not an inherent acceptance of such violence in American culture;
• Legislation aimed to address domestic abuse and gun ownership consistently flounders, and when it does pass, enforcement is sketchy.

Fueling the Rage 

Masculinity—or the warped view of it—along with the notion that domination and aggression are desirable assets in real men, leads some mass shooters to believe they are owed something from the world—that their just desserts have somehow been stolen. That is in part because women have broken out of their traditional roles, and the power they’ve grasped has come at the expense of the shooter.

Protection is Paramount 

Are you a woman who has been the victim of domestic abuse? Have you been threatened with gun violence? Surely, not every abuser becomes a murderer or a mass shooter—but are you willing to risk your safety by sticking around?  If you’re looking for a way out, the experienced, compassionate Boca Raton family law attorneys at WiseLieberman can help.  Schedule a confidential consultation in our office today.