Exploring Adverse Childhood Experiences and Defensive Gun Use

Wednesday January 22, 2025.

As a marriage and family therapist who has navigated my own horrific history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), I often see firsthand how early trauma can shape the way people perceive safety and respond to threats.

A recent study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research delves into this connection, revealing how ACEs—such as sexual abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction—may increase the likelihood of defensive gun use (DGU) among adults with heightened threat sensitivity.

These findings add valuable insight into the lasting impact of trauma and how it influences behaviors like firearm use for self-protection.

How ACEs Shape Our Worldview

Adverse childhood experiences have long been associated with various challenges in adulthood, including mental health struggles, risky behaviors, and even physical health issues.

This study focuses on a lesser-explored area: how early trauma affects patterns of firearm use, particularly defensive gun use.

For some folks, ACEs can create a lens through which the world feels perpetually unsafe.

Defensive Gun Use (DGU)—defined as acquiring the training for using or displaying a firearm skillfully to protect oneself, others, or property—can emerge as a response to this heightened sense of danger.

In my practice, I’ve seen clients with a history of ACEs describe feeling constantly on edge or hyper-aware of potential threats.

This state of heightened vigilance is not a conscious choice but rather an adaptive response to early experiences of danger or instability. For many, this survival mechanism carries over into adulthood, where firearms can become a tool to manage their ongoing sense of vulnerability.

Defensive Gun Use and Threat Sensitivity

The study found that folkss with higher ACE scores like me were 17% more likely to report engaging in defensive gun use.

A key factor in this relationship is threat sensitivity—an increased tendency to perceive others as untrustworthy or situations as threatening.

This aligns with what many trauma survivors like me have experience: a worldview shaped by early instability or harm that makes it difficult to trust others or feel secure.

While defensive gun use may offer some a sense of protection, it also raises important questions.

Does carrying a firearm truly make someone safer, or does it reinforce a cycle of fear and mistrust? For therapists, this is a crucial area to explore with clients who rely on firearms for a sense of security. This questions requires a therapist to slow down and think deeply. Not something many are inclined today when discussing gun violence.

ACEs, Depression, and Defensive Gun Use

Interestingly, the study found that while both threat sensitivity and depressive symptoms were associated with ACEs, only threat sensitivity predicted defensive gun use.

This suggests that the decision to engage in DGU is less about internal struggles like sadness or fatigue and more about externalized fears and hypervigilance. In other words, give me good enough reason, and I will harden your target.

This distinction is important for therapeutic work.

For clients who see the world as a dangerous place, interventions focused on reframing perceptions of safety and building trust can be particularly impactful. Therapeutic approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or mindfulness-based practices can help reduce hypervigilance and foster a greater sense of calm.

But so does knowing how to aim and shoot a hand gun if a threat is reasonably in evidence.

Implications for Healing and Prevention

As a therapist, I’m deeply invested in helping clients address the long-term effects of ACEs.

While early intervention to prevent ACEs is ideal, many adults are already living with the impact of childhood trauma. For these folks, therapy offers a space to explore their fears, challenge unhelpful thought patterns, and develop healthier coping strategies. For some, so does competence on a firing range.

This study also underscores the importance of trauma-informed care. By understanding how ACEs influence behaviors like defensive gun use, therapists, policymakers, and community leaders can work together to create interventions that address both the root causes and downstream effects of trauma. There’s going to be heightened gun use amongst our traumatized clients. Start asking about it.

A Path Forward

For trauma survivors like me, the decision to use a firearm defensively often stems from deeply rooted fears and a desire for safety.

While defensive gun use may feel empowering in the moment, it’s important to explore whether this behavior truly addresses the underlying feelings of vulnerability. Through compassionate, trauma-informed care, we can help folks find alternative ways to feel secure and build trust in themselves and others.

On the other hand, if you have a reasonable reason to be fearful, a well-holstered snub-nosed 38 can keep you soothed at night.

This research reminds us that healing from trauma is not just about addressing the past, but also about reshaping how we engage with the present.

With the right support, it’s possible to move from a place of fear to one of greater peace and connection. Especially when warranted, we’re packing sufficient heat.

Be Well, Stay Kind and Godspeed.

REFERENCES:

Altikriti, S., Semenza, D. C., Testa, A., Jackson, D. B., & Anestis, M. D. (2023). Adverse childhood experiences and defensive gun use: The indirect role of threat sensitivity and depressive symptoms. Journal of Psychiatric Research.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Preventing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs): Leveraging the best available evidence. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention.

Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., … Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). SAMHSA’s concept of trauma and guidance for a trauma-informed approach. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.