Firearm Injury Prevention: Failure of Gun-Safety Education

Author: Dowd MD / Sege R / Smith GA / Wright JL
Publication: Pediatrics: American Academy of Pediatrics;
Topics: Age Group Education/Counseling Gun Carrying Public Health Storage
Keywords: Children SAFETY education critique gun handling
Bibliographic information +

The authors comment on another researcher’s published study, which demonstrated that gun-safety education among young children does not prevent children’s subsequent handling of guns in naturalistic settings. They suggest that eliminating or reducing the presence of guns in the environment is the safest way to protect children. They are concerned that interventions aimed solely at childhood behaviors (such as gun-safety education) may inadvertently provide a sense of comfort for adults who want a gun in the home that is readily accessible.