Gun safety at home

The combination of a child and a gun is frightening to me. Although guns are certainly not involved in all of them, “In the United States, unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide are the first, second, and fourth leading causes of death among persons aged 1–19 years, respectively,” according to Stephanie J. Bernard, Leonard J. Paulozzi, and L. J. David Wallace, of the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (U. S. Center for Disease Control).

When one adds into the kids-guns mix the variable of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, the situation becomes even more concerning. Some children with EBD may lack the ability to discriminate between a real and a toy gun; others may not have the impulse control to defer acting like they are shooting a gun upon picking one up; clowning around might lead to an accident. And none of those examples even begin to consider the possibility of premeditated actions.

The following analysis from Child Trends isn’t aimed (excuse me) at parents of children with EBD, but it is still good advice for everyone.

One-third of all families in America that have children also have guns, and more than 40 percent of them don’t keep their guns locked up. Children younger than eight can’t tell the difference between a real gun and a toy, and 3-year-olds are strong enough to pull the trigger on a real gun. Children and teens commit more than half of all unintentional shootings.
Here are some things you can do to keep yourself and your family safe.

• Teach children that they shouldn’t touch guns and that if they see a gun, to leave it alone and tell an adult.
• If your children play at another home, talk to the parents about gun safety.
• Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
• Always store guns unloaded.
• Lock guns in a rack or safe, and hide the keys or combination.
• Store ammunition away from guns and keep it locked.
• Don’t keep guns in your home if someone in your family has a mental illness, severe depression, or potential for violence.

Link to the CDC team’s analysis of “Fatal Injuries Among Children by Race and Ethnicity — United States, 1999–2002.” Link to the Child Trends article about teen deaths (homicides, suicides, and accidents) that involve guns. Also, see Common Sense about Kids and Guns.