Do guns stop rape?

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 10:51:20 -0500

Do armed females deter crimes like rape against women?

This is not a test

Response by SGT Jim Z. made Feb 20 at 2015 10:59 AM

SGT Jim Z. — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 10:59:14 -0500

I vote yes because if she truly knows how to use the weapon and is not afraid of using it she will be able to stop an attacker.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Feb 20 at 2015 11:05 AM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 11:05:45 -0500

Are there guns in the world? Yes. Does rape still occur in the world? Yes. Do persons with guns rape? Some. Do some with guns get raped? Some.

No, guns do not prevent rape.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 20 at 2015 11:16 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 11:16:50 -0500

Caring a gun does not prevent someone from being approached with the intent to rape.
Having a firearm may change the outcome of the assault if the female knows how to defend herself and properly use/fire the weapon.

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Feb 20 at 2015 12:22 PM

Capt Richard I P. — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 12:22:58 -0500

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member You need a 'qualified yes' option. I'm one of the more pro-gun people I've ever met, and my cred on that on RP is pretty easy to verify. That said, the vast majority of rapes are not 'stranger-rape' attacks from the bushes. They're attackers the victim knows and employ mixes of exploitation of trust, coercion, chemical alteration and emotional and physical abuse.

As to the 'traditional stranger-rape' idea, tactics and weapons retention become crucial.

All of those qualifications provided, would an average attacker be more or less likely to attack a woman knowing there was even a 50/50 chance she was armed? Probably less.

So.... Qualified yes.

Response by SFC Stephen P. made Feb 20 at 2015 1:33 PM

SFC Stephen P. — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 13:33:23 -0500

I know of examples where women have prevented rape by employing a firearm.

In some circumstances, self defense with a firearm is the best means of prevention.

While those circumstances are numerous, they comparatively uncommon. The unknown assailant jumping out of the bushes does exist, but represents only a small fraction of perpetrators.

Armed victims may be part of the remedy, but will not be a total solution.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 20 at 2015 4:25 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 16:25:00 -0500

Do guns stop bad people? Yes. If you think other wise then what the hell does a threat of an Infantry Soldier do? Why do cops need guns?

Sure, rape can happened between someone they know. Might not work out, but if they can get to their gun. It might stop pretty quick. Can a knife stop rape? Sure, it can help stop rape. Can a beast of a woman who knows MMA stop rape - sure, it could help stop.

If you doubt this, we can try an experiment. Send a nonbeliever in to a place where they might get raped, or head chopped off, or mugged without a gun. Then send another with a gun.

Response by SPC James Mcneil made Feb 20 at 2015 4:36 PM

SPC James Mcneil — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 16:36:56 -0500

A well trained person that is prepared to defend him or herself is the best deterrent against rape. A gun is one way to potentially stop the rape, but not the only way. And a gun in the hands of someone unprepared will not stop anything.

Response by MSgt Jim Pollock made Feb 20 at 2015 4:38 PM

MSgt Jim Pollock — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 16:38:08 -0500

Unlikely. Most rapes are of the make out session gone bad variety, i.e. violating the no means no principle. In that situation, it's unlikely the victim has immediate access to a weapon.

In the rarer case of the "dark alley stranger" type rape, sure a properly trained concealed carrier could impact the situation. I'd say that's a relatively unusual scenario though.

Response by CDR Michael Goldschmidt made Feb 20 at 2015 5:56 PM

CDR Michael Goldschmidt — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 17:56:06 -0500

When seconds count, the police are only minutes away. Rapists are predators, cowards. They look for soft targets. Armed potential targets can really ruin their days. The bigger the round, the better.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 20 at 2015 6:20 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 18:20:51 -0500

I think your question should read. If a women is armed with a gun will that be a deterrent of bad guys in committing the act of rape. Granted there will always be bad people with evil intentions but are guns/armed citizens a deterrent?

Response by MAJ(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 20 at 2015 6:21 PM

MAJ(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 18:21:07 -0500

A qualified and trained female who conceal carries has a much better chance of not getting raped by a stranger. Point blank.

However, a lot of rape cases involved people the victim knew and at times trusted. No weapon can always mitigate that.

Response by SSG John Erny made Feb 20 at 2015 6:26 PM

SSG John Erny — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 18:26:16 -0500

I do not like the Idea of a rape victim or any other kind of victim, I like the Idea of:
1 Dead offender(s)
2 Wounded Offender(s)
3 Prisoned Offender(s)

I live in the rural Nebraska, we do not have many home invasions here for a very good reason. Just about every one has a gun and was taught at a young age to use it. A couple off idiots tried it near my home town about 20 years ago, it did not end well for them. One off them was punched by the husband who had done nothing but hard manual labor his whole life and weighed about 300 pounds; he then sat on him. The other invader ran away in a hail of shot gun pellets from the wife and was pined down behind a cattle trough.

Response by Maj Chris Nelson made Feb 20 at 2015 6:32 PM

Maj Chris Nelson — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 18:32:49 -0500

I feel that a woman that takes the time to become familiar with a firearm, carry said firearm, uses a degree of vigilance to surroundings, and is willing to use firearm if the situation escalates....YES. It will be a final deterrent. Obviously, by remaining alert to surroundings and avoiding situations that could compromise her, would be the best situation, but last effort at self preservation....valuable tool.

Response by SSG Leonard Johnson made Feb 20 at 2015 6:33 PM

SSG Leonard Johnson — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 18:33:49 -0500

ahhhhhh yeah I imagine that would be a show stopper there ;)

Response by GySgt Joe Strong made Feb 20 at 2015 6:37 PM

GySgt Joe Strong — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 18:37:59 -0500

The problem is: Without Rapists coming out and saying they picked targets using whether or not they thought a woman was armed AND you could correlate those specific incidents to specific women and tally up the correct guesses that a woman was or wasn't armed; then you can never authoritatively answer the question.
However, I don't think it takes a genius to figure out that criminals tend to choose the easier victims.
In example an unlocked car with visible stuff in it is at a greater risk of having the stuff removed than one that is locked with the same stuff in it - any Police Officer will corroborate that.
This is one of those emotional questions that the evidence is simply going to be unavailable for and designing an experiment to prove an answer either way would be, problematic, unethical and likely illegal and even if you could it would be highly unlikely to yield results with a high degree of reliability.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Feb 20 at 2015 6:50 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 18:50:13 -0500

Why speculate? Just check for stories in the newspapers. Oh right, the media is adverse to publishing or airing stories that run counter to their narrative that guns are evil. You rarely see or hear the stories of guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens preventing crimes.

Sadly, both sides in the controversy stoop to manipulating statistics to prove their case, for or against gun ownership in general and concealed carry in particular. I would be inclined to carry concealed but live in the Socialist Republic of California and that ain't gonna happen anytime soon.

Interestingly, I was speaking with a lieutenant of our local sheriff's department a couple days ago and asked about the law on carrying a baton. I had been thinking about purchasing one of the new telescoping models on Amazon. He surprised me with his answer: It's a misdemeanor to carry a gun in an automobile, a felony to carry a baton.

That shoots the hell out of that idea...

Response by MSgt Keith Hebert made Feb 20 at 2015 6:51 PM

MSgt Keith Hebert — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 18:51:56 -0500

As long as he prepared to use it

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 20 at 2015 6:57 PM

CSM Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 18:57:22 -0500

I love the way you worded the choices on the survey - very humorous!

My vote is Yes.

As for anyone who would like to try and dissuade me of my personal opinion, don't waste your breath and time, and you don't need to down vote me just because of my personal opinion - a simple "I disagree" will be sufficient, and I won't try to change your personal opinion.

Response by MSgt Michelle Mondia made Feb 20 at 2015 9:34 PM

MSgt Michelle Mondia — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 21:34:26 -0500

Makes me think of Jodi Foster in the Brave One...

Response by MSgt Bj Jones made Feb 20 at 2015 9:42 PM

MSgt Bj Jones — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 21:42:46 -0500

How about we put this to a real test? Once I get my CHL, I'll start carrying both my pistols (I shoot with both hands). Send some rapists my direction and see if they survive any rape attempts. Maybe some other women would like to be handgun wielding guinea pigs for some rapists as well? If I were in PA, I could volunteer without a CHL as open carry is legal in PA.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 25 at 2015 4:55 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 16:55:18 -0500

My wife use to hunt, I respected her and liked the fact she would shoot some if they tried to harm her. Since i would do the same.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 1 at 2015 4:49 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 01 Mar 2015 04:49:13 -0500

No. But a bullet to the junk does.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 1 at 2015 5:42 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 01 Mar 2015 05:42:05 -0500

It's simple the more average people who are armed the less someone likely someone will want to attack the average person because of fear that they will come away from it in a body bag.

Response by LCpl Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2015 10:58 PM

LCpl Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 22:58:50 -0500

Well, here in Colorado, we introduced campus carry in 2008. Since then we've had no negligent discharges or any incident of any kind with a CCW permit holder on one of our college campuses, and campus sexual assault rates have plummeted... now I'm not going to go to go ahead and draw a definitive conclusion from that, but it's certainly food for thought.

Response by SSG Robert Burns made Mar 2 at 2015 11:13 PM

SSG Robert Burns — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 23:13:14 -0500

Am I the only confused by this thread picture? A girl with a gun like she just broke out of handcuffs tell me a different story than that of this question.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Mar 3 at 2015 7:41 AM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 07:41:17 -0500

Yes & No.

Yes. Defensive Gun usage stops crimes. Lots of crime. Some of that crime is rape.

Most rape is not "drug into the alley" as people envision it. It is by people they know in settings they feel safe. We had rapes oversees where everyone had access to weapons and ammo, and it didn't stop it.

Now, not having access to a gun doesn't stop rape. So, having access is a hell of a lot better.

Response by 1LT Nick Kidwell made Mar 3 at 2015 1:09 PM

1LT Nick Kidwell — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 13:09:26 -0500

Legally owned firearms carried and used by trained citizens is the ONLY effective defense against violent crimes where deadly force is used/threatened.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2015 2:20 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 14:20:53 -0500

Guns themselves? No, not really.
Bullets? Yes.

If the assailant knows that their intended victim has no problem shooting them, they probably won't go ahead with the act. However, if their victim is just waving the gun around, the assailant might just go ahead and do it because they know their prey is too scared to harm them.

I believe we need to teach current and future generations respect for self and others.

Response by PO2 David Hagwood made Mar 11 at 2015 6:25 PM

PO2 David Hagwood — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 18:25:46 -0400

I'm sure it would deter a rapist. Shoot it off, they won't be able to rape anyone after that.

Response by SGT Jeremiah B. made May 19 at 2015 12:16 PM

SGT Jeremiah B. — Tue, 19 May 2015 12:16:39 -0400

The question is a tactical one. I used to work with a couple of guys that trained police, military and civilians in hand-to-hand and self-defense. One of their favorite things to do was demonstrate to their students how utterly useless a gun was in most real-world situations.

Rape is almost always an ambush. As soldiers have learned for decades, even having a weapon out and ready doesn't help a while lot unless the ambusher sucks at controlling the situation. So the answer is "Maybe with the caveat that the chances of the gun being used on the owner is a significant possibility."

Want to protect yourself? Learn to fight with your hands. Then you can create the opportunity where a gun is possibly useful.

Response by SrA Edward Vong made May 19 at 2015 12:20 PM

SrA Edward Vong — Tue, 19 May 2015 12:20:05 -0400

A gun can reduce the possibilities of rape, will it 100% stop rape, no.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2015 2:16 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 19 May 2015 14:16:54 -0400

Guns exist now and don't stop rape. Yes if a predator picks the wrong women and she has a firearm hopefully it stops that assault from occurring. We as a society must stop rape. We condone living in a culture that glorifies/promotes sex and doesn't promote courtship or respect. That's what we need, not guns!

Response by SSG John Erny made May 19 at 2015 3:58 PM

SSG John Erny — Tue, 19 May 2015 15:58:31 -0400

Ask this 12 year old Girl who gave a home invader "what for, how, and why"

http://www.news9.com/story/19858704/12-year-old-girl-shoots-intruder-during-home-invasion

12-Year-Old Girl Shoots Intruder During Home Invasion In Bryan County

A 12-year-old girl took matters into her own hands during a home invasion in southeast Oklahoma.

Response by SGT William Howell made Jun 3 at 2015 11:48 AM

SGT William Howell — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 11:48:32 -0400

Guns do not stop rape. Bullets stop rape!!!

Response by SGT Joe Sabedra made Jul 2 at 2015 9:33 PM

SGT Joe Sabedra — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 21:33:50 -0400

They seem to stop repeat offenders.
Bullets make great juries.

Response by SFC Nikhil Kumra made Jul 9 at 2015 8:35 PM

SFC Nikhil Kumra — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 20:35:53 -0400

When I see a gun, I think about going to the range. .... So if I were a rapist, then yea, it probably would probably divert my attention over to range safety, as well as my BRM fundamentals.

Response by MSgt Curtis Ellis made Aug 21 at 2015 6:00 PM

MSgt Curtis Ellis — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 18:00:22 -0400

Without sounding like a smarta$$, as it's not my intent, that's like asking "Do guns kill people...?"
The answer to the posted question is "PEOPLE stop rape by not committing the act... and if the act is a probability, the VICTIM, if possible, stop the rapist by any means necessary...
I know of one brave young lady who handles a katana quite well as verified by her would be rapist...
She doesn't like firearms...
However, I do submit a "yes" with your bottom question, ARMED females can deter crimes, like rape, against themselves or other women

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Aug 21 at 2015 6:30 PM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 18:30:56 -0400

It depends - if the attacker gets the gun from the victim, she could end up raped AND dead...

Response by 1LT Aaron Barr made Sep 30 at 2015 2:46 PM

1LT Aaron Barr — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 14:46:04 -0400

I would think so.... With respect to the ladies, females are generally smaller and not as strong as males which puts them at a disadvantage in a physical confrontation. There are many ways a woman can address this such as avoiding being alone when out and about, training in martial arts etc. However, a firearm is an extremely effective deterrent and good at stopping a would be rapist in his tracks if deterrence doesn't work.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 2 at 2015 2:58 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 14:58:13 -0400

If they can respond fast enough yes. If you shoot them it stops them faster.

Response by Sgt Ken Prescott made Oct 2 at 2015 10:45 PM

Sgt Ken Prescott — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 22:45:44 -0400

God made all men and women; Samuel Colt made them all equal.

Response by SSG Jesus Sijalbo made Oct 3 at 2015 3:24 AM

SSG Jesus Sijalbo — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 03:24:31 -0400

YES! A lot more at that its a multi tool for crimes. Doesn't work everytime but at least you have a tool. Its a Gerber?

Response by SrA Jonathan Carbonaro made Nov 10 at 2015 3:57 PM

SrA Jonathan Carbonaro — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 15:57:29 -0500

No, but bullets in the body do.
Just because you own, or even carry a firearm, doesn't mean you'll have the will to use it. The Will to use it, along with the ammo, firearm and training means that the perpetrator will more then likely get shot. That might stop that individual from doing it again.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Nov 21 at 2017 8:40 PM

SSG Edward Tilton — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 20:40:22 -0500

Most are a danger to themselves and those around them

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 8 at 2018 3:02 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 May 2018 15:02:30 -0400

Do people not realize that the majority of rape and sexual assault are perpetrated by someone the victim knows? So how prepared are people going to be to pull a gun on a spouse, partner, loved one? You'll be completely taken by surprise. It's rare that it's the "stranger in the alley" scenario. That needs to be put into thought in this discussion.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made May 8 at 2018 5:19 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Tue, 08 May 2018 17:19:19 -0400

It can shore change a rapists mind and gender!

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made May 9 at 2018 3:21 PM

PO3 Steven Sherrill — Wed, 09 May 2018 15:21:37 -0400

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member the reality is that there will always be assholes who want to assert their dominance by committing horrible acts like this. Simply having a firearm, is not going to stop them, or even deter them. It is having a firearm, training to use it, and not hesitating to do so when faced with a life or death situation that will stop it from happening.

Response by SPC Gary Welch made Jun 13 at 2019 3:56 PM

SPC Gary Welch — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 15:56:16 -0400

Guns don't but the bullets do a great job

Response by SPC Kevin Ford made Dec 31 at 2019 10:57 AM

SPC Kevin Ford — Tue, 31 Dec 2019 10:57:59 -0500

In the right circumstances, yes.