Yes. You should absolutely teach your child about gun safety. After doing a bit of research and analyzing various data, it is clear that accidental gun deaths among youth are a concern. Below I have taken some basic information from The Nation’s Health website.
Published in March in the American Journal of Medicine, the study found that between 1999 and 2017, nearly 39,000 gun-related deaths occurred among children and young people ages 5 to 18, including nearly 6,500 deaths among children ages 5 to 14 and nearly 32,500 deaths among those ages 15 to 18.
Among the causes of death, 61% were due to assault, 32% due to suicide, 5% were considered unintentional and 2% were undetermined. Significant increases in gun-related deaths began in 2009, with the first wave among ages 5 to 14, followed by a second wave that began in 2014 among ages 15 to 18.
After completing some basic math, we can determine that 1,950 of the deaths were deemed unintentional. This typically means that a gun was being mishandled by the child, sibling, other family member or friend when it discharged, and caused a death. Sadly, there are many causes that create these situations.
-The gun was not being stored properly in a location that was inaccessible to children.
-The gun was being stored but was not locked up adequately, allowing for access.
-The gun was locked up properly but the child knew how to gain access whether it be with a key or combination.
-The child/children felt it necessary or desirable to “play” with the gun.
-The child thinks, “Well I use these in video games so I know what I am doing.”
In many instances, storage of the gun was an issue. Proper storage is a hot topic depending upon who you speak with. Some believe in minimal storage while others believe that a gun should always be kept in a safe, locked up and stored away from ammunition/loaded magazines. There are even specific regulations and laws that some states have put in place. If you do not have guns stored properly you can be charged if an incident occurs. Ultimately, there is a base level of storage that everyone should have for their guns. If you know that children are present, then having a loaded gun accessible is unacceptable unless you are at a range and teaching them how to shoot. If you use a gun for home defense purposes, then you need to make sure it is properly locked up so that it cannot be accessed when you are not present.
“Playing” With Guns
What I truly find most troubling is the desire for children to “play” with guns. In most cases, the gun is brought out almost as a “show and tell” feature among friends or siblings. The desire to have a “show and tell” session with a gun, I believe, is rooted in the taboo nature of the weapon itself. Think about it, if you tell your child not to do something, what do they want to do? They want to do exactly what you told them not to!
In this context, if you allow your child to know that you have guns in the home and simply say, “Don’t touch!” what is their natural inclination going to be? To find what they can’t have. That being said, how can we as parents alleviate this concern? Education. Educating your child on what a gun is, what it is used for and the damage that it can cause will help them have a better understanding of why they shouldn’t be playing with one. This also helps if they go to a friend’s/family members house and a gun is taken out for “show and tell.”
Educating Your Child
-You need to teach your child what a gun is, what it does, and the damage that it can cause. Obviously, depending upon age you will need to change the language that you use so that you do not traumatize your child and/or so that they can comprehend what you are saying.
-Teach your child what to do if someone pulls out a gun for “show and tell.” Instruct them to tell the person to put it down and then to immediately leave the room and find an adult. If no adult is present, then stay in another room until the person has put away the gun.
-As your child becomes older and is more capable of handling guns, you can teach them how to properly put on the safety (if it has one) and unload and clear the gun to make it safe. Hopefully you will initially teach these steps while actually taking your child to the range. There is no better environment for actually demonstrating the capabilities of a gun.
-Teach your child that they should be telling you of any situations that arises with the discussion or handling of guns with friends or other family members. In a lot of instances, the discussion starts before the actual handling. Make sure that your child is not afraid to come tell you what is or has happened.
-As a parent, if you know that someone has a gun and you will be sending your children to their house, you could ask them how they store everything. It may be a touchy subject for some but I can tell you now that I’d rather lose a friend then put my child in a potentially unsafe situation. A responsibly armed person shouldn’t have an issue with discussing how they store everything.
Ultimately it is up to you as a parent how you want to handle the topic of guns. I would hope that you have a discussion with your child/children though and do not make the topic taboo. As I stated previously, when you tell a child not to do something, they most likely will do it anyway! Start discussing this topic with other parents in your friend group as well and you’d be amazed at some of the responses you will get. Having an open dialogue will help you in the long run.
Stay safe. Stay practical. Stay educated.
-Pat