Leave the Area. Tell an Adult.
The Parents'
Responsibility
In a home where guns are kept, the degree of safety a child has 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.
Talking With Your
Child About 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 help remove the mystery surrounding guns. Any rules set for your
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.
Toy 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 TV. 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 to follow the instructions of NRA's
Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program:
STOP!
Don't Touch.
Leave the Area. Tell an Adult.
The initial steps of "Stop"
and "Don't 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.
The NRA's Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program includes an instructor guide, activity
books, poster, and an animated video to explain its four-step safety message.
For more information about the program or to obtain the materials, visit the
Eddie Eagle web site at http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/,
send
an email to eddie@nrahq.org, or call
(800) 231-0752.
Where to Get
Training
The time may come when you or your family members want to learn to
handle and shoot a gun safely. In the case of a child, his or her
attitude, learning ability, and physical and emotional maturity are some of the
factors to be weighed before allowing formal instruction to begin.
When a parent decides a young person is ready, many training opportunities are
available. Providing instruction in the safe handling, use, and storage of
firearms is one of NRA's most important functions. NRA Basic Firearm
Training courses, taught by 36,000 NRA Certified Instructors, are offered in
every state. A program called "FIRST" STEPS (Firearm
Instruction, Responsibility and Safety Training) provides a three-hour
orientation to your specific firearm. For more information about taking
any of these courses, please call the NRA automated voice menu system at (703)
267-1430.
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.
Contact your state police and/or local police for information regarding such
laws.
If you own a gun and do not know how to operate it, do not experiment with it.
Point it in a safe direction, keep your finger off the trigger, and store it
securely. Seek competent assistance and instruction at once. 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 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.
For more information on firearm safety and youths, call (703) 267-1560, or
write: NRA Community Service Programs Division, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax,
VA 22030.
This information is not intended as a complete course in gun safety and is not a substitute for formal, qualified instruction in the handling, use, or storage of firearms. The guidelines herein should be considered options to minimize the chance of an accident occurring in the home.
To receive a copy of the "Parent's Guide to Gun Safety" brochure, email eddie@nrahq.org or call (800) 231-0752.