Today is National ASK Day, when parents are urged to ask about guns and other dangers where their children play. Is there a gun where your children play, in their friends' homes, in the purse of your babysitter, in your relative's home? Are you certain? Have you asked?
And if there is a gun there, is it properly stored, locked and unloaded?
Have you talked to your children about avoiding guns without proper supervision, or what to do when they find a gun?
Here is an excellent article on National ASK Day put out today by womenshealth.gov: http://www.womenshealth.gov/news/english/654092.htmHere is a previous post I have written on ASK: http://newtrajectory.blogspot.com/2011/02/asking-saves-kids.html
And here is an article I recently published on the topic, in Metro-Parent Magazine (see page 28): http://www.metro-parent.com/issues/june11/june11.pdf
(a post I wrote about the article: http://newtrajectory.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-article-on-ask-campaign-was.html ).
Nearly 40% of homes with children possess firearms, and as many as 14% keep them unlocked and loaded. As a result, accidental shootings by children happen all the time in America. HERE is one example of a recent one (in a home where the father was a shooting instructor, no less).
Can you really afford not to ask? Your child's life may depend on it.
Good advice for young children: If you see a gun: STOP! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult. If only there was a national organization promoting a safety program like this to kids.
ReplyDelete"Nearly 40% of homes with children possess firearms, and as many as 14% keep them unlocked and loaded."
ReplyDeleteDo you have a citation for these numbers?
Hi, Weer'd. Yes, here are the citations:
ReplyDeleteFor the first part, (40% of homes with children..):
Schuster, Mark A., Franke, Todd M., Bastian, Amy M., Sor, Sinaroth, Halfon, Neal. "Firearm Storage Patterns in U.S. Homes With Children," American Journal of Public Health 90(4) (April 2000):588-594.
For the second part ("as many as 14% keep them unlocked an loaded"):
Johnson, Renee M., MPH, Tamera Coyne-Beasley, MD, MPH, and Carol W. Runyan, PhD. “Firearm Ownership and Storage Practices, U.S. Households, 1992-2002.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 27 (2004): 173-82.
Baldr,
ReplyDeleteHow do you plan on protecting your children?
How do you plan on protecting children intrusted into your care?
Serious questions.
Violence happens. It happens when people aren't expecting it. It happens in good neighborhoods and bad.
So, what is your plan for keeping your family and your children's friends safe?
@ Bob: Not with a gun.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing is to insure their environment is safe, which is what the ASK program is all about. Obviously, this isn't just about guns, but all dangers in the home and friends' homes. We have no guns in the Odinson house, and things like medicines, chemicals, and such are locked way. You can't protect against all dangers in the home, so this is accompanied by training them about the dangers and how to react properly. We've even trained them about 911 (including talking to a 911 operator at a police event here).
Next we demand a similar level of protection at the homes of friends, as well as adequate supervision.
Next, we hardened our home, following the guidelines of my previous post: http://newtrajectory.blogspot.com/2011/01/alternatives-to-gun-ownership-for-home.html
Finally, I and my son are students of kung fu, and my wife practices haganah. We are all still relatively new to these martial arts, but its a start at self protection. Not as lethal as a gun, but you can't accidentally beat yourself to death. ;)
Excellent advice!
ReplyDeleteJoat said...
ReplyDeleteGood advice for young children: If you see a gun: STOP! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult. If only there was a national organization promoting a safety program like this to kids.
There is. The NRA Eddie Eagle program. It should be required for every school.
The NRA Eddie Eagle Program has a good message, and I support it.
ReplyDeleteBut let us not forget that the same message is also presented by groups such as Ceasefire Oregon which do not also support the widespread distribution of guns, including in homes with children, as the NRA does. Let us also not forget that the NRA has actively opposed mandating safe storage of guns in homes with children (Child Access Prevention Laws) or the distribution of gun locks with every sale. These points work against the message that the Eddie Eagle program espouses: what is the point in suggesting kids leave guns alone if the NRA also ignores unsafe storage of guns around children?
For these reasons, I much prefer an honest representation by an organization that does not also promote gun ownership.