Trigger Happy

We're faced with frightening crime statistics daily. As a woman, is your best bet to get armed?

If you haven't already been a victim of crime, you probably know someone who has. You may even have considered arming yourself with a gun. And seeing the latest crime figures (more than 225 000 reported assault cases alone in 2005), your fears may be justified.

CALL TO ARMS
Having a gun may give you a feeling of security, but you need to ask yourself whether you would be willing to pull the trigger if you were attacked.

Having a gun can put you at greater risk. A 1998 crime study in Alexandra and Bramley (both in Gauteng) found that only 22% of armed victims of assault had the nerve to use their guns at the moment of attack. In a survey by the South African Gun Control Alliance of female victims of gun violence, most said they wouldn't choose to own a gun themselves. They felt there was a bigger chance of the gun being turned on them than of them using it in self-defence. 'It's true that a gun may not always work in your favour,' says Lisa Vetten, researcher and policy analyst at the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre in Johannesburg. Chances are your attacker has experience in using a firearm and you don't. The 1998 crime study found that 78% of guns stolen were taken during a crime, and then used against the victims.

'If you are skilled in self-defence, first try to take on your attacker physically,' says Sanette Smit, COSMO's self-defence expert, who recommends self-defence over using a gun. 'Fighting back will give you a very good chance of getting out of the situation,' she says. However, if you feel safer with a firearm, it's your decision, she says. Take into consideration, though, that firing at an intruder and missing may only anger him more.

LEGAL EYE
It's important to note that, even if you're a registered gun owner, you cannot simply shoot at a burglar. 'For a murder to be regarded as self-defence by the law, the action should yield defence proportional to the threat,' says Vetten. For example, if you were to arrive home and find an intruder seated in your living room, you would have no grounds to fire at him because he poses no physical threat to your safety. 'There must be an imminent threat, such as him coming towards you,' she says. In a reported case, a woman shot her estranged husband in the back as he was leaving her house. Her action did not qualify as self-defence, because he wasn't threatening her.

LICENSED TO KILL
You can register a firearm (or renew your licence) at any police station. Civilians are allowed to own up to 12 firearms. When a firearm is lost or stolen, this feeds the spread of illegal weapons. From 1994 to 2001, the number of lost or stolen guns peaked at 184 328. But when the government launched a firearm amnesty in 2005, only 58 388 illegal weapons were surrendered.

IF YOU DECIDE TO GET A GUN…
Do your research. Some firearms come with excellent security features (to prevent accidental shooting), while others don't.

Understand how it works before you handle it. Take a gun-safety course where you'll learn about the different parts of the gun, how to load and unload bullets, safety features, and how to aim and fire a gun.

Keep it unloaded when it's not in use – but always treat it as though it were locked.

Never show it off or share it with anyone. Better yet, don't let anyone know that you have a firearm, apart from the people who live with you.

Understand that owning a firearm is a big responsibility. 'You need to be sensible, reliable and trustworthy,' says Vetten.

Author: Lesleigh Kivedo