Two dozen school shootings occurred in the year after the tragedy in Newtown. Thousands of children suffer gunshot injuries each year. Many hundreds of them die. Up to 45% of households in America have a firearm of some kind, and while many adults think that children don’t know where guns are stored, studies have shown that this isn’t true. One found that 80% of 1st graders know the location of their parents’ guns.
It’s no wonder that with numbers like these, parents are worried about the safety of their children when it comes to firearms. What can they do?
Ask Other Parents If They Have Firearms
Parents should not hesitate to ask other adults if they keep firearms in their home before letting their children spend time there. Some questions to ask include:
- How are the firearms stored?
- Do they have trigger locks?
- Are they under lock and key?
- Are they unloaded?
- Is the ammunition stored separately?
Ask simply and without accusation, and express your concerns over gun safety. The majority of gun owners are responsible people who are as concerned about gun safety as you are, especially if they are parents themselves.
If you don’t hear the answer you’re hoping for – if, say, they don’t keep their guns locked up (only some states require that you do) – then make it clear that you’re happy for your children to play together at your house, but that you don’t want your child at their house unless they lock up their guns. It may make for an awkward conversation, but your child’s safety comes first.
Know the Law
Children Access Prevention (CAP) laws
CAP laws make adults criminally liable for giving children access to firearms, whether intentionally or unintentionally. There is no federal CAP law, but 27 states plus D.C. have passed their own CAP laws. Depending on where you live, you could find yourself in trouble if your child gains access to your firearm, even if he or she doesn’t use it. In other states it’s only an issue if the child does use it. Parents of a 12-year-old Nevada boy who shot and killed a teacher and then himself last October with a gun could face charges under these laws.
CAP laws also come into play in cases where a minor gains access to a firearm in someone else’s house. If, say, your child went to his or her friend’s house and found an adult’s gun, that adult could be brought up on charges under the CAP laws.
Minimum Age Requirements
Laws mandate minimum ages for possession and use. Federal law prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from buying or possessing a handgun, but state laws on possession vary; for example, Alaska allows minors from the age of 16 to possess a handgun with parental consent, while in Connecticut you must be 21.
Long guns are a different story. Minors under 18 may hunt with firearms, and state laws on minimum hunting age also vary. In several states, minors do not need to be accompanied by an adult to do so, though most states, including Washington State and Colorado, require that they have passed a hunter education course.
The Guns-Free School Act
This act requires that school districts enforce a zero-tolerance policy regarding guns on school property in order to receive federal funds. Students found in possession of a firearm face mandatory expulsion for at least one year. Another bill, the Guns-Free School Zones Act, makes it illegal for anyone to knowingly possess a gun in a school zone. Together, these federal laws are intended to increase student safety by keeping guns out of school areas entirely.
However, local school authorities have power, too. In a growing trend, more school districts are finding ways to allow teachers to carry guns at school. Instead of trying to keep all firearms out of schools, many districts believe they can improve student safety by having trained, armed adults in school. The hope is that they would be able to respond more quickly than police in the event of a shooting or similar incident.
In addition to knowing the law, parents with guns should always practice basic gun safety at home, and all parents should teach their children what to do in case they come across a gun.
9 comments
RAFIV
Erin,
I think the simplest way would be to get to know the parents first. Children have the luxary - one of the last true joys of childhood - of playing and meeting in many public and private forums. Parents should leverage those opportunities to sound out other parents. You can learn an enormous amount from simply engaging someone in conversation.
As for warning signs, that is more difficult to quantify. A large part of my practice is state intervention child welfare; and because of my daily interaction with poly substance abusers, victims and perpetrators of intimate partner violence etc., I have some idea what to look for. But we are all human and can overlook all but the most obvious signs. In the end, all we can do is trust our judgment, remain engaged and vigilant, and train our children to alert us to concerns.
One final point. Of the cases I have added since October, none have involved a firearm ( one sword but...). All have involved substance abuse. I understand the fear mass shootings cause, but let's stay focused on the real danger and not make bogeymen of our law abiding neighbors.
Erin Danly
Sounds like you have a very unique perspective on it, considering your work. I do agree that getting to know the parents first is ideal, although I understand that's not always possible. I suppose parents have to balance the desire to give people the benefit of the doubt with the (no doubt stronger) desire to protect their children. Thanks for sharing your point of view.
DeSchaine
Ms. Danly, as a law abiding gun owner and parent of a 6 yr old son, I have to point out some wrong information you placed in your article. According to what you have written "the Guns-Free School Zones Act, makes it illegal for anyone to knowingly possess a gun in a school zone." This is actually incorrect.
According to 18 USC ss 922(q)(2)(b):
Subparagraph (A) does not apply to the possession of a firearm—
(i) on private property not part of school grounds;
(ii) if the individual possessing the firearm is licensed to do so by the State in which the school zone is located or a political subdivision of the State, and the law of the State or political subdivision requires that, before an individual obtains such a license, the law enforcement authorities of the State or political subdivision verify that the individual is qualified under law to receive the license;
(iii) that is—
(I) not loaded; and
(II) in a locked container, or a locked firearms rack that is on a motor vehicle;
(iv) by an individual for use in a program approved by a school in the school zone;
(v) by an individual in accordance with a contract entered into between a school in the school zone and the individual or an employer of the individual;
(vi) by a law enforcement officer acting in his or her official capacity; or
(vii) that is unloaded and is possessed by an individual while traversing school premises for the purpose of gaining access to public or private lands open to hunting, if the entry on school premises is authorized by school authorities.
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I also have to disagree with part of what Gene said. I fully believe in teaching a child about firearms. I started with my own son when he was 4. But you do not need to make them afraid of the firearm, just teach them proper respect. This is done slowly. Both my son and his half brother have airsoft guns, which are kept in my gun safe when not being used. I've taught them about proper protection when using them, and even shown them what happens when a person is hit (dad stood there and let them shoot him a few times, ow). In the two years with my son, and the six with his half brother, there has only been three times that I've had to discipline them for improper care around the firearms.
Erin Danly
Thanks for the info, DeSchaine. For the sake of brevity I didn’t go into detail in this article, but you are right about the Guns-Free School Zones Act. I believe its overall aim is to keep firearms that may pose a danger out of school zones, and so the law makes many provisions for possession that does not seem to pose a danger (like allowing citizens with carry permits issued by that state to have firearms, or having them unloaded and locked away). If it didn’t make such provisions, you’d be breaking the law every time you drove through a school zone with a gun in your car, which is clearly not the intent of the Act.
As to your second point, it seems that parents have one of two choices when it comes to educating children about guns. The first is to keep the children as far away from guns as possible. The second is to give children have hands-on education, possibly so they don’t find guns so mysterious and alluring. (Talk about hands on! I’ve never heard of a parent asking their kids to shoot them before!) I haven’t come across any studies about whether one method is better than the other, but I’d be interested in reading about that.
RAFIV
Do we ask people to tell us what prescriptions they have in their medicine cabinet, whether they are opiate based, antipsychotic, benzoate etc., how many they have, to whom they are prescribed, in what dose, and if they are secured? Children are much more likely to experiment with prescription drugs or be injured by an impared care giver than any firearm. If you have concerns about a parent, don't let your children be supervised by them. That is true regardless of the presence of a firearm. Being a parent does not give you the right to ask me about the manner in which I choose to exercise -or not exercise- my rights. The same way I assume you are not abusing a prescription until I have evidence to the contrary, so should you assume a person is lawfully exercising their rights unless you have cause for concern.
Erin Danly
RAFIV, that's a good point. Certainly there are many potential dangers in a home, including firearms, knives, prescription and OTC drugs, swimming pools, trampolines... I think it can a challenge for parents to ask about the safety of these things without seeming accusatory or judgmental (or just plain nosy). So I'm curious, in what cases would you speak up - what would give you cause for concern?
mike
Well said
jorge
A discussion regarding the safety of any environment that your child could be entrusted is not only appropriate but a duty as a parent. Driving history, criminal history, alcohol, medicine, drugs, firearms, poisons, chemicals, fuels, power tools, junk refrigerators, vehicles up on blocks, heavy farm and construction equipment. Any of these and many other items could pose a significant risk of injury or death to your child. A mature discussion with the objective of evaluating the level of risk without imposing your personal opinions on someone else's life is the right of any parent. If I don't like answers, my child WILL NOT be permitted to visit unattended.
Btw I have firearms; disassembled, stowed separate from ammo and locked. I have a wood shop; deenergized and dekeyed. I have automotive and farm equipment; dekeyed; not left jacked up, and stowed away from the play areas. I consider my home prudently safe but by no means absolutely safe.
I would have no issue discussing these risks and my mitigation approaches with a parent whose child was coming over my house. I would expect a similar courtesy.
gene
I feel like parents should do what they have to to protect the house. I also think they should educate the children on how to use the gun in the process of teaching them.Show them the power of the gun.And explain to them what the gun is for and that it stays where mom and dad put it unless the house is in jepordy.They should know that under no circumstance the gun is to leave the house period.Let them know that if they take the gun out of its place in the house mom dad and them will go to jail and they will never be free to ride their bike or be with their friends ever again. They won't see their mom or dad and their life will be ruined. Yes exaggerate the penelty to messen around with the gun.If that dont work your kid needs help