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Having a firearm in your home can be extremely dangerous, especially if you have children. Firearm-related injuries are a significant cause of death in children. Although the majority of children are injured by a firearm during adolescence, younger child and infants can sustain firearm-related injuries or death. Younger children are most likely to be injured while playing with a gun they found and not realizing the gun is real or loaded. It is common for younger children to shoot themselves or their playmates. It is estimate that almost 50% of the households in the nation possess firearms for safety reasons. However, a firearm at home is more likely to cause injury to or kill the family rather than an intruder.
One key factor in protecting your children from firearm-related injury is proper storage. Restricting a child’s access to a firearm within the home can be the difference between life and death. Proper storage of a firearm means keeping the firearm locked in a cabinet or drawer. Also, the gun should be unloaded and the bullets should be locked separately.
Below are other measures that parents, guardians, and gun owners can take to ensure gun safety within the home:
– Use the trigger lock on your gun.
– Do not let children have access to the keys that unlock the drawer or cabinet where the firearm is located.
– Teach your children not to handle guns without adult supervision.
– Try to avoid permitting children to play with realistic toy guns.
If you do not have a gun in your home, your child(ren) should be taught what to do if he or she were to ever come across a firearm. Below are the simple steps a child should be taught if he or she happens to find a firearm:
– Stop!
– Do not touch.
– Leave the area.
– Tell an adult.
If you would like to read more on this topic please see >What to do if you possess a firearm in your home.
Gun safety is very important. Parents and guardians have a duty to teach their children about the dangers regarding guns. Children should know of what to do if they come across a firearm as well as NEVER to play with guns or other weapons.