Engaging parents in child gun safety

Albemarle County and Charlottesville Schools put a lot of effort into keeping school children safe from guns. There is, however, something parents and child caregivers can do:

What’s to be done???

  1. Talk to children about gun safety, reminding them not to touch guns, and to tell a parent or supervising adult if they find one.
  2. If you own a gun, store it securely, (best, unloaded and secured in a gun safe or with a gun lock–ammo stored separately).
  3. ASK those who may be hosting your children in their homes, “Are there any guns in your home?  If so, are they secured and unloaded?”  If this sounds too abrupt, consider framing that question by prefacing it with, “My child is extremely curious/has a new fascination with guns/likes to play war.” *

Why this is important?

  1. One in three gun owners store weapons loaded and unlocked
  2. Research shows that secure firearm storage is associated with an up to 85% reduction in the risk of self-inflicted and inadvertent firearm injuries among children
  3. Virginia law requires gun owners to store firearms where a child is unlikely to gain access
  4. Of the 40,000 gun deaths in the U.S. each year, about half are suicides
  5. 80% of guns found or fired in schools come from the home OF A STUDENT, OR A FRIEND OR RELATIVE!

Some Proven Ways to Secure Guns

  1. Pistol, revolver, and rifle cable locks are free from the Albemarle and Charlottesville police.  To find out how to use a gun cable lock visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBQu1uYOk0U
  2. Gun safes are also effective.  Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNIlNjyuuKA to find out more about different gun safes.  If you own a gun for protection purposes, and want to keep it close, say, on a bedside table, consider buying a biometric gun safe.  These can be purchased from Amazon.com for under $100.  The gun safe requires your fingerprint for access.  To see brands and prices from Amazon, go here:  https://www.amazon.com/biometric-safe/s?k=biometric+safe.

Why?

Just like it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to keep our children safe.

*How do you ASK if there are guns in the House?

Children enjoy going to each others homes for playdates—it’s often a part of growing up and learning to socialize. When a playdate is not at your house, parents frequently have concerns (especially if it’s to a new home they are visiting). Questions arise such as pets in the home, supervision, rules about internet usage, snacks (concerns about allergies), etc.

We suggest adding one more question (one that could save a life or prevent an injury): “Is there an unlocked gun in your house?”

The risk of accidental death by shooting is 4 times higher in homes with guns, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, https://healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Handguns-in-the-Home.aspx, unintentional shootings occur to children of all ages and more than one-third of them happen in homes of their friends, neighbors, relatives and caregivers.

It may seem that you are being impolite or judgmental to inquire about guns in a home, but “Good Manners” shouldn’t mean you have to ignore safety and concern for your children.

Some Suggestions on how to start a conversation:

  • When dropping off your child for a playdate or caretaker, or when you make arrangements on the phone, you might say, “My child is curious and my doctor recommends that I ask if there is an unlocked gun in the house.”
  • You can mention recent national news about unintentional shootings, so, “I’ve begun asking: ‘Are there are any unlocked guns in your home?’” 
  • “I have a gun in my home I store unloaded and locked in a lock box in my bedroom where my kids don’t go. What about you?”
  • “My doctor recommends and I ask this all the time….”
  • “If you have firearms at home, how do you store them?”
  • “My home is gun-free—what about yours?”
  • “I understand that you and/or your husband hunt(s), where do you store your guns?”

If you make this a regular conversation with every drop-off, it will start to sound routine.

What to Do Next:

If there is a “Yes” response, it doesn’t mean that you have some moral obligation to cancel a playdate, or to leave the child with a caretaker. There’s room for determining risk.

For Example, If a parent has gun(s) in the home, ask them how they are stored. As a parent you may want further details, i.e. “Then, are they properly secured?” The person may say, “I keep them in a secure safe and unloaded.” That may help you decide. If the guns are not unloaded and stored in a lock box, you may ask them if they would do that before your child visits—“You know how curious children are! I’ve been hearing about children finding guns and unintentionally shooting another child or adult.”

If you don’t feel secure with the answers given, you can suggest hosting them at your home or meeting at a mutually convenient park.

Another possibility, you may text the parent the day before to ask if there are guns.

***Remember, kids are naturally curious, even when they have been warned not to touch. Keep an on-going conversation with your child(ren) about gun safety with the reminder to follow the four rules if they see a gun: While playing at a friend’s house: (1) STOP, (2) Don’t touch it, (3) Leave the area, and (4) Tell an adult.

Charlottesville Coalition for Gun Violence Prevention