Beyond Symbolic Compliance: Firearm Relinquishment, Institutional Design, and Survivor Burden in Dom

Domestic violence restraining orders (DVROs) often include firearm prohibitions intended to reduce the risk of lethal violence. However, enforcement of firearm relinquishment remains inconsistent, leaving many survivors exposed to ongoing danger. Courts may issue surrender orders, but compliance is frequently verified through minimal documentation. The responsibility for monitoring violations often falls on survivors themselves. This project examines how institutional design shapes firearm relinquishment enforcement in domestic violence cases. Drawing on feminist theories of coercive control, Liz Kelly’s continuum of violence, and Michael Lipsky’s theory of street-level bureaucracy, the study analyzes how discretionary enforcement can transform legal protections into administrative burdens for survivors. The research proposes a survivor-centered enforcement framework based on functional disarmament, emphasizing the removal of any operational or readily restorable firearm.