Guns
Here are some things to consider doing. Some items may not be applicable to you.
- Over 500 children in the U.S. were killed while playing with handguns in 1994
- Nearly half of households in the U.S. have guns
Always:
- Treat every gun as if it’s loaded
- Never point a gun at someone or something you don’t intend to shoot at
Buying a gun:
If you are considering buying a gun for self-protection:
- Consider non-lethal alternatives (e.g. dog, pepper spray), especially if you have children
If you decide to buy a gun:
- Ensure a gun you buy for self-protection has child-proof trigger locks, and/or,
- will be kept in lockable case
Owning a gun:
If you own a gun:
- Realize it’s your responsibility to ensure a child never gets ahold of it
- Don’t keep guns:
- Under a pillow
- Under the bed
- In an unlocked drawer
- Loaded
- Put a trigger lock on the gun
- Take a firearms course to learn safe handling and storage of guns including any night vision equipment such as a night scope for AR15.
- Store sporting and hunting guns unloaded, securely locked away, with ammunition stored and locked separately
Parents/adults:
- Don’t depend on others to teach your child about the dangers of guns
- Realize that children are fascinated by guns
- Realize that sooner or later your child will probably encounter a gun
- Explain to your children that shootings on TV and in movies are pretend, that real guns kill
- Tell your child that if he/she sees a gun to:
- Stop
- Not touch it
- Run away and tell an adult
- Teach your child to treat every gun as if it’s real and loaded โรยข real guns are often smaller than toy guns
Before letting your child visit a friend’s house:
- Ask if they have guns in the house
- Tell your child that if they’re in a friend’s house and they see a gun, they must leave or call you right away
EXPLORE: At Home
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