gun-fucious
Member
Gun Safety
Thu Oct 9, 8:00 PM ET
KidsHealth.org
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/gun_safety.html
Whether you are a collector, a hunter, or a gun control advocate, you need to ensure your family's safety by talking with your child about the potential dangers of guns and what to do if one is found.
What Kids Know About Guns
When a child is old enough to interact with others, even if he doesn't speak yet, he probably has a general concept of what guns are. This comes as no surprise given that the average child sees 200,000 violent acts on television (including 40,000 murders) by high school graduation, according to the National Institute on Media and the Family. These numbers don't include what children see on the big screen or on the Internet.
Television, movies, and computers are not the only sources through which kids are exposed to guns. Children's shows and school programs dedicated to gun safety may actually be a child's introduction to firearms. Some children learn about guns firsthand "on the street." Even if you don't have a gun in your own home, one could be on display or stored away at a neighbor or friend's home.
Experts don't agree on how much young children actually understand about guns when they pretend-play or fantasize about them. Toddlers are likely to point fingers and make shooting noises to convey anger or gain a sense of power, but it's likely that they don't understand that this behavior, when carried out with a real gun, may result in the death or injury of another child or themselves.
The question on the minds of many parents is, do toy guns dangerously blur the line between fantasy and reality? There's no clear answer, and parents on both sides of the gun control issue vary in their opinions. Whereas some gun control advocates believe that allowing kids to play with toy guns as an isolated event isn't a problem, some gun owners believe that guns are not toys, and that it's foolish to blur the line for children. Parents should be guided by their own viewpoints when deciding whether to allow toy guns and shooting actions as part of play.
Toy guns for older kids can be dangerous. Even if used in a game, such as laser tag, or as a joke, they can be difficult to distinguish from the real thing. As a result, older kids playing with toy guns or paintball guns may have an increased risk of being shot by someone with a real gun firing in self- defense.
At some point, children learn that guns can kill and as they get older, the chances increase that they'll come in direct contact with a gun. The average high school student says that guns are available to teenagers. To complicate matters, today's kids deal with social issues and cultural influences that teens a generation ago didn't face:
More parents are working outside the home and aren't always available for guidance and supervision when kids are home. In fact, an estimated 1.2 million elementary school students come home to a house with a gun, but no guardian.
Each day, more than 100,000 teens bring handguns to school.
Characters in movies and TV shows sometimes use guns to gain power or control and often suffer no consequences for their actions.
These factors may increase the likelihood that some kids are interested in or intrigued by guns.
Kids also typically know where guns are in the home. Parents who have guns at home may think their children don't know where they've hidden guns, but kids find them. Even guns in locked cabinets can be pried open. About 30% of families with children keep loaded guns in the home, and many families have loaded weapons in the home and don't even know about them. A mother might have purchased a gun to "protect the family" and not told anyone else about it, or a grandfather's souvenir from the war may unknowingly be stored in the attic.
Despite all that kids know about guns, most don't know how to safely handle a gun when and if they find one. That's why it's so important for parents to talk to their children about gun safety. But there are challenges. Today, there is no industry standard for gun safety. For example, one handgun might have a pin (like the kind that pops out of a turkey when it's cooked) to show if a bullet's in the chamber. The child might see the pin but not know what it means. Likewise, many kids know how to release a gun cartridge but may not be aware that there's often one bullet left in the chamber. If they believe a gun is empty but one bullet remains, an accident could happen.
Talking to Your Child About Gun Safety
Whether it's a firearm, or something as common as a carpenter's nail gun, BB gun, or an air gun, all are easy for kids to get, and all are dangerous. Parents should assume that their children are going to come across a gun at some point in their youth and proactively teach them about gun safety.
There are a number of programs that can help you get started. One of the most popular is Eddie Eagle, a program of the National Rifle Association (NRA). It offers this four-step approach to gun safety:
stop
don't touch
remove yourself from the area
tell an adult
What's hardest for children to recognize that they must remove themselves from the area. Just stopping and not touching a gun themselves is not enough. Removing themselves from the area protects them from being harmed by a child who doesn't know not to touch. A child as young as 3 has the finger strength to pull a trigger. Some studies show that by age 8, 90% of children are capable of firing a gun.
It's also important that kids tell an adult about the gun they found. Remember, however, that curiosity about guns is not limited to children. The adult your child tells may not know basic gun safety either and cause an accident himself. It's best to give your child an easily remembered list of adults that you trust to safely take action.
Some gun safety literature recommends talking to neighbors or the parents of children's friends about whether they own guns, but these conversations can be unreliable and strain friendly relationships. Some people may think that their guns are safely locked away or out of the reach of children, and they see no need to tell you that they own guns. Others may not be aware that a gun is stored in the house. That's why it's a good idea to rely on teaching your children what to do if they encounter a gun rather than to rely on what other adults may have told you.
see also:
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/watch/er/gun_safety.html
Thu Oct 9, 8:00 PM ET
KidsHealth.org
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/gun_safety.html
Whether you are a collector, a hunter, or a gun control advocate, you need to ensure your family's safety by talking with your child about the potential dangers of guns and what to do if one is found.
What Kids Know About Guns
When a child is old enough to interact with others, even if he doesn't speak yet, he probably has a general concept of what guns are. This comes as no surprise given that the average child sees 200,000 violent acts on television (including 40,000 murders) by high school graduation, according to the National Institute on Media and the Family. These numbers don't include what children see on the big screen or on the Internet.
Television, movies, and computers are not the only sources through which kids are exposed to guns. Children's shows and school programs dedicated to gun safety may actually be a child's introduction to firearms. Some children learn about guns firsthand "on the street." Even if you don't have a gun in your own home, one could be on display or stored away at a neighbor or friend's home.
Experts don't agree on how much young children actually understand about guns when they pretend-play or fantasize about them. Toddlers are likely to point fingers and make shooting noises to convey anger or gain a sense of power, but it's likely that they don't understand that this behavior, when carried out with a real gun, may result in the death or injury of another child or themselves.
The question on the minds of many parents is, do toy guns dangerously blur the line between fantasy and reality? There's no clear answer, and parents on both sides of the gun control issue vary in their opinions. Whereas some gun control advocates believe that allowing kids to play with toy guns as an isolated event isn't a problem, some gun owners believe that guns are not toys, and that it's foolish to blur the line for children. Parents should be guided by their own viewpoints when deciding whether to allow toy guns and shooting actions as part of play.
Toy guns for older kids can be dangerous. Even if used in a game, such as laser tag, or as a joke, they can be difficult to distinguish from the real thing. As a result, older kids playing with toy guns or paintball guns may have an increased risk of being shot by someone with a real gun firing in self- defense.
At some point, children learn that guns can kill and as they get older, the chances increase that they'll come in direct contact with a gun. The average high school student says that guns are available to teenagers. To complicate matters, today's kids deal with social issues and cultural influences that teens a generation ago didn't face:
More parents are working outside the home and aren't always available for guidance and supervision when kids are home. In fact, an estimated 1.2 million elementary school students come home to a house with a gun, but no guardian.
Each day, more than 100,000 teens bring handguns to school.
Characters in movies and TV shows sometimes use guns to gain power or control and often suffer no consequences for their actions.
These factors may increase the likelihood that some kids are interested in or intrigued by guns.
Kids also typically know where guns are in the home. Parents who have guns at home may think their children don't know where they've hidden guns, but kids find them. Even guns in locked cabinets can be pried open. About 30% of families with children keep loaded guns in the home, and many families have loaded weapons in the home and don't even know about them. A mother might have purchased a gun to "protect the family" and not told anyone else about it, or a grandfather's souvenir from the war may unknowingly be stored in the attic.
Despite all that kids know about guns, most don't know how to safely handle a gun when and if they find one. That's why it's so important for parents to talk to their children about gun safety. But there are challenges. Today, there is no industry standard for gun safety. For example, one handgun might have a pin (like the kind that pops out of a turkey when it's cooked) to show if a bullet's in the chamber. The child might see the pin but not know what it means. Likewise, many kids know how to release a gun cartridge but may not be aware that there's often one bullet left in the chamber. If they believe a gun is empty but one bullet remains, an accident could happen.
Talking to Your Child About Gun Safety
Whether it's a firearm, or something as common as a carpenter's nail gun, BB gun, or an air gun, all are easy for kids to get, and all are dangerous. Parents should assume that their children are going to come across a gun at some point in their youth and proactively teach them about gun safety.
There are a number of programs that can help you get started. One of the most popular is Eddie Eagle, a program of the National Rifle Association (NRA). It offers this four-step approach to gun safety:
stop
don't touch
remove yourself from the area
tell an adult
What's hardest for children to recognize that they must remove themselves from the area. Just stopping and not touching a gun themselves is not enough. Removing themselves from the area protects them from being harmed by a child who doesn't know not to touch. A child as young as 3 has the finger strength to pull a trigger. Some studies show that by age 8, 90% of children are capable of firing a gun.
It's also important that kids tell an adult about the gun they found. Remember, however, that curiosity about guns is not limited to children. The adult your child tells may not know basic gun safety either and cause an accident himself. It's best to give your child an easily remembered list of adults that you trust to safely take action.
Some gun safety literature recommends talking to neighbors or the parents of children's friends about whether they own guns, but these conversations can be unreliable and strain friendly relationships. Some people may think that their guns are safely locked away or out of the reach of children, and they see no need to tell you that they own guns. Others may not be aware that a gun is stored in the house. That's why it's a good idea to rely on teaching your children what to do if they encounter a gun rather than to rely on what other adults may have told you.
see also:
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/watch/er/gun_safety.html
