Tips for protecting children from firearms
Firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and teens between the ages of 1 and 19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 85% of firearm deaths in children younger than 18 occur in a house or apartment, with roughly 56% taking place in the child’s own home. Most of these deaths occur unintentionally when someone is showing off or playing with the firearm.
But about 38% of firearm deaths in children 0-17 are self-inflicted. Adolescents who are experiencing suicidal thoughts are at higher risk of suicide completion if there is a gun in the home, according to research published in Pediatrics.
The reality is that having firearms in your home increases your child’s risk of unintentional shootings, suicide, and homicide. So don’t be surprised if your child’s pediatrician or primary care provider asks about guns in the home. It’s about keeping your child safe, similar to how they might ask about water safety or car seats and seatbelts.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that the safest home for a child is one without guns. Research shows that the best way to prevent unintentional gun injuries for children is the absence of guns from homes and communities.
If you want to remove firearms from your home, many local police departments will pick them up and dispose of them for you. Call your local department for details. Some even have a no-questions-asked policy if you don’t have a permit for the weapon you’re turning in.
If you decide to keep guns in your home, you can reduce the risk to your child by safely storing your firearms. Studies show that teaching kids about gun safety is not enough. But it’s still important to teach children that if they come across a gun, they shouldn’t touch it and should tell you.
Safe gun storage
All guns in your home should be locked and unloaded with ammunition locked separately.
Experts agree that safe firearm storage practices include all three of these measures, in combination:
- Unload the ammunition.
-
Lock the firearm.
- Store the firearm and ammunition in separate locations.
There are many affordable options for firearm storage that allow rapid access to guns in a matter of seconds, while still preventing children from accessing them. The Minnesota State Legislature is also attempting to underscore the importance of properly storing firearms and keeping them away from children. A bill imposing penalties for not securing firearms passed the Minnesota House of Representatives and is headed to the Senate.
Keeping your kids safe when they’re not at home
More than 1/3 of unintentional shootings happen in homes of friends, neighbors, or relatives. So it is important to make sure you keep your child safe in all of the homes that they’re spending time in.
Before your child spends time at another home, ask: “Is there an unlocked gun in your house?” If there is, consider spending time at a different location or talking to them about safe gun storage.
For more information
National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Project Childsafe https://projectchildsafe.org/
Laurel Ries, MD is a family medicine provider at M Health Fairview. She sees patients at our M Health Fairview Clinic – Rice Street in Saint Paul.
