Firearms fatalities in Denmark 1970–1979

doi:10.1016/0379-0738(83)90137-8

Forensic Science International

Volume 23, Issues 2–3, November–December 1983, Pages 93-98

https://doi.org/10.1016/0379-0738(83)90137-8 Get rights and content

Abstract

In the 10-year period from 1970 to 1979 933 firearm fatalities occurred in Denmark which represent an increase of 45% during a little more than 10 years. Eighty-eight per cent were suicides, 8% homicides, and 4% accidents. Accidental shootings have decreased from 8% to 4% and the fall seems to be a result of fewer accidents in connection with hunting, probably due to a more restrictive legislation about hunting.

An increasing share of the total number of deaths, now responsible for 57% of the fatalities, are by shotgun. There has been a remarkable increase in the use of sawn-off long barreled weapons.

Still considering the marked increase of firearm fatalities, fatal shootings are of very limited importance in Denmark, especially homicidal shootings of which there are 2–3 per year. Shotguns are at the present time the only procurable dangerous weapons which have led to an increased share of the total firearm fatalities. Restrictions in the use of shotguns during hunting seem to have had positive effects on the reduction of hunting accidents. As mentioned above, the most valuable method of bringing the firearm fatalities under further control seems to be increased control over the procurement and possession of shotguns.

References (1)

J.P. Hart Hansen
Fatalities from firearms in Denmark
Forensic. Sci.
(1974)

Cited by (40)

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Results of manner of death in this study were similar to the study in Turkey,7,8 Iran,9 Southern Italy11 and Egypt.19 However, the studies from Brescia (Northern Italy),10 Sweden12,24 and Denmark25 showed different pattern of firearm injury that suicide was the dominant manner of death followed by homicide and accident. The studies in Yorkshire and Humberside showed that homicide was the most common manner of death but the percentages of homicide and suicide were not significantly different as in the current study.23
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Since any firearm injury is potentially lethal, it is of great interest to prevent firearm incidents. This study investigated such incidents during hunting and Swedish hunters’ safety behaviour. A 48-item questionnaire was posted to a random sample of 1000 members of the Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management. The questions considered demographics, hunting experience/hunting habits/safety behaviour/attitudes and experience of careless weapon handling, hunters’ weapons and safety behaviour relating to weapons, health status, firearm incidents and their preventability, and personal comments on the questionnaire. The response rate was almost 50%. The mean age of the responders was 54 years; 5% were females. Almost none (1%) reported hunting under the influence of alcohol. Young age and male sex were positively associated with risk behaviour, although the presence of multiple risk behaviours in the same responder was not common. A very high degree of compliance with Swedish laws regarding weapon storage was reported. One-quarter of the responders had witnessed a firearm incident caused by another hunter, which in most situations did not result in human injury or death. An unsafetied weapon was the most common reported “cause” of these incidents. Experience of a firearm incident was not uncommon and the majority of the responders considered the incident in question to be preventable. This study provides a picture of the possible risk behaviour among hunters and the results suggest that future prevention work should target safer weapon handling.
Unintentional firearm hunting deaths in Sweden
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Similarly, in another Danish study that focused on all firearm fatalities between 1984 and 1987, a positive effect of a new and more restrictive legislation was claimed [7]. The restrictive legislation in Scandinavia [1,3,7] as compared with the USA may explain the overall low incidence but cannot explain the decrease noted here as the requirements for a new owner of a weapon in Sweden has remained essentially the same during the period covered by the present and a previous investigation; there is one exception: the introduction of a mandatory hunter's exam in 1985. Although the exact impact of mandatory hunter's exam cannot be stated with certainty on account of the material studied, there was no other reasonable explanation than increased safety awareness for this positive trend.
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Original paperFirearms fatalities in Denmark 1970–1979

Abstract

Forensic. Sci.

Original paper
Firearms fatalities in Denmark 1970–1979