Safe Gun Storage
Did you know that guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens across the country? This public health concern is one that we have the power to change. Bronson Children’s Hospital encourages parents and caregivers to learn how to store guns in a safe manner to reduce children and teen injuries and death from guns. Safe storage of guns can prevent unintentional shootings, violence and gun tragedies from happening in our community.
U.S. Gun Safety Statistics
- Guns are the leading cause of death in youth between 1 and 24 years of age.
- Every day, 12 children are killed by a gun.
- 1 in 3 homes in the U.S. with children under 18 years of age has a gun. In 43% of these homes, the gun is unlocked or loaded. This equals approximately 4.6 million children living in a home with an unlocked or loaded gun.
- Approximately 75% of children between 5-14 years of age know where guns are stored in the home, regardless of whether parents believe they have a secret hiding place for them.
- Among younger children, in the age group between 1-9 years of age, 26% of gun deaths were due to unintentional shootings.
- Approximately 6,500 youth between the ages of 10-24 commit suicide each year. Of these, 51% of all youth suicides involved a gun. In 2 out of 3 cases when a youth used a family members gun to commit suicide, that gun was kept unlocked.
- Counting suicide, homicide, and unintentional shootings, 73,247 youth died due to guns in the decade between 2011-2020, with an increasing trend projected to soon reach over 10,000 deaths per year.
- According to statistical models, if 50% of households began safely storing their guns, as many as 289 lives of children and adolescents would be saved each year.
Talk To Your Child About Guns
Children of all ages can learn about gun safety. Ensure your child is safe from unintentional shootings by following these conversation guidelines:
- Talk with your child about the risk of gun injury in places they may visit or play.
- Teach your child that if they ever come across a gun, they must stay away from it and alert an adult immediately.
- Have a conversation with the parents of your child’s playmates before they enter their home. Asking about the storage of guns is just as important for your child’s safety as asking about pets, allergies, or supervision. If there is any doubt about the safety of another home, invite your child’s playmates to your house instead.
- Acknowledge gun violence on tv, movies and video games. Make sure your child knows guns can cause real harm or kill people.
- Let your child know that strong feelings like fear or anger can be expressed without violence and they should talk to someone they trust right away. Using a weapon to cause harm is not acceptable.
All adults can help keep children safer by promoting safe storage of guns amongst your friends, family and peers. Advocating for gun violence prevention can influence other people’s attitudes and behaviors. The more often these conversations take place, the safer our homes and neighborhoods will become.
How to Make Your Home a Safe Place
Children are naturally curious and impulsive which can be dangerous if they live in a home with guns. Follow these guidelines to make your home a safe place.
- Store guns unloaded.
- Store guns locked up using a trigger or cable lock, a lock box or a gun safe.
- If your locking device requires a key, be sure to keep the key on your person or in a safe place where your child or others cannot access.
- Remove guns from your home if a family member shows signs of depression, suicidal thoughts or drug abuse.
“Hiding” a gun or placing it somewhere that seems out-of-reach is not the answer. Safe gun storage protects everyone in the home and also prevents theft of guns.
There are many types of storage devices that meet the needs of gun owners. Locking devices can be purchased wherever guns and firearm accessories are sold. Ask your Bronson healthcare provider, Childhood Injury Prevention or your local sheriff’s department about how to get free gun safety locks for the guns in your home.
Visit Project ChildSafe for a list of agencies in Michigan that offer free gun safety kits.
More Gun Safety Information
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