Growth & Development
Your Child is on the Move: Reduce the Risk of Gun Injury
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Protecting your Child from Gun Injury
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A home is safer without a handgun.
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in homes with guns, children are safest if:
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Guns are stored unloaded and locked up or with a trigger lock; and
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Bullets are stored and locked in another place.
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Even if you do not own a gun, you need to make sure that the homes your child visits are safe too.
Parents Need to ASK: Asking Saves Kids
Even if you do not own a gun, ask your neighbors, friends, and family if they do before your child visits their homes.
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if they don’t, that’s one less thing you have to worry about.
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if they do, keep your child away from homes where there are guns or where guns are not stored safely.
Sometimes it can be hard for a parent to ask about guns. One mother asks this way,
Some people may not agree with you, but it’s important that you talk with them about your concerns. Here are some tips to make asking about guns easier:
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Bring up the topic when you are talking about other health and safety issues such as car seats, seat belts, pets, or allergies.
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Share facts about gun safety. You are not judging people, you just want to make sure your child is safe.
Commonly Asked Questions
Every year, thousands of Americans are seriously injured or killed when:
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A child finds a gun or is showing a friend the gun kept at home and, without meaning to, pulls the trigger.
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A depressed teenager or adult becomes suicidal.
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An argument between family members gets out of control.
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A friend or family member is mistaken for an intruder.
No. Children need better protection from guns.
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Exploring and playing are the ways children learn about the world.
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Any child’s curiosity and urge to discover new things can overcome a parent’s warnings. Young children simply do not understand how dangerous guns can be.
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Young children are not able to tell the difference between toy guns and real guns.
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Many TV shootings do not look dangerous or deadly.
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The only safe way to hide a gun is to lock it up.
In one mother’s words:
This family was lucky, but many others are not.