Gun Safety Information Last Updated 2/18/2008
If
you find a gun follow these four simple rules.
Stop!
Do
not touch!
Leave
the area!
Tell an Adult!
A
Parents' Responsibility
In a home
where guns are kept, the degree of safety a child rests
squarely on the child's parents. Parents who accept the
responsibility to learn, practice, and teach gun safety
rules will ensure their child's safety to a much greater
extent than those who do not. Parental responsibility does
not end, however, when the child leaves the home.
According to
federal statistics, there are guns in approximately half of
all U.S. households. Even if no one in your family owns a
gun, chances are that someone you know does. Your child
could come in contact with a gun at a neighbor's house, when
playing with friends, or under other circumstances outside
your home. It is critical for your child to know what to do
if he or she encounters a firearm anywhere, and it is the
parents' responsibility to provide that training.
Why
Teach Your Child Gun Safety
There is no
particular age to talk with your child about gun safety. A
good time to introduce the subject is the first time he or
she shows an interest in firearms, even toy pistols or
rifles. Talking openly and honestly about gun safety with
your child is usually more effective than just ordering him
or her to "stay out of the gun closet," and
leaving it at that. Such statements may just stimulate a
child's natural curiosity to investigate further.
As with any
safety lesson, explaining the rules and answering a child's
questions helps remove the mystery surrounding guns. Any
rules set for your own child should also apply to friends
who visit the home. This will help keep your child from
being pressured into showing a gun to a friend.
Toys
Guns vs. Real Guns
It is also
advisable, particularly with very young children, to discuss
gun use on television as opposed to gun use in real life.
Firearms are often handled carelessly in movies and on
television. Additionally, children see TV and movie
characters shot and "killed" with well-documented
frequency. When a young child sees that same actor appear in
another movie or TV show, confusion between entertainment
and real life may result. It may be a mistake to assume that
your child knows the difference between being
"killed" on TV and in reality.
If your
child has toy guns, you may want to use them to demonstrate
safe gun handling and to explain how they differ from
genuine firearms. Even though an unsupervised child should
not have access to a gun, there should be no chance that he
or she could mistake a real gun for a toy.
What
Should You Teach Your Child About Gun Safety?
If you have
decided that your child is not ready to be trained in a
gun's handling and use, explain that he or she must not
touch a gun in your home, unless you are present and have
given permission. If your child sees a gun outside the home,
teach him or her the following:
Stop!
Do Not Touch!
Leave the Area!
Tell an Adult!
The initial
steps of "Stop" and "Do Not Touch" are
the most important. To counter the natural impulse to touch
a gun, it is imperative that you impress these steps of the
safety message upon your child.
In today's
society, where adult supervision is not always possible, the
direction to "Leave the Area" is also essential.
Under some circumstances, "area" may be understood
to be a room if your child cannot physically leave the
apartment or house.
"Tell
an Adult" emphasizes that children should seek a
trustworthy adult, neighbor, relative, or teacher if a
parent or guardian is not available.
Common
Sense Gun Safety
Follow these
three fundamental rules in any situation. Whether or not you
own a gun, it is important to know these rules so that you
may insist that others follow them.
Whether you
are shooting or simply handling a gun, never point it at
yourself or others. Common sense will tell you which
direction is the safest. Outdoors, it is generally safe to
point the gun toward the ground, or, if you are on a
shooting range, toward the target. Indoors, be mindful of
the fact that a bullet can penetrate ceilings, floors,
walls, windows, and doors.
When
handling a gun, people have a natural tendency to put their
finger on the trigger. Do not touch the trigger unless you
are actually preparing to fire the gun.
If you do
not know how to check to see if a gun is loaded, leave it
alone. Carefully secure it, being certain to point it safely
and to keep your finger off the trigger, and seek competent
assistance.
Gun
Owners' Responsibilities
Most states
impose some form of legal duty on adults to take reasonable
steps to deny access by children to dangerous substances or
instruments. It is the individual gun owner's responsibility
to understand and follow all laws regarding gun purchase,
ownership, storage, transport, etc. If you choose to own a
gun, you have a responsibility to set a positive example.
If you do
not know how to operate a gun, do not experiment with it. An
untrained adult can be as dangerous as a curious child.
Store guns
so that they are inaccessible to children and other
unauthorized users. Gun shops and sporting goods stores sell
a wide variety of safes, cases, and other security devices.
While specific security measures may vary, a parent must, in
every case, assess the exposure of the firearm and
absolutely assure that it is inaccessible to a child.
|
