Aiming for Prevention:
Making Gun Safety a Priority for America's Children
According to a study of emergency room data, more than seven thousand children are hospitalized each year due to accidents or injuries from guns; approximately six percent of them do not survive their injuries (Miller, 2014). Gun owners have a responsibility to ensure that their firearms are appropriately stored and secured in order to keep them out of the hands of children. There are several different ways to secure firearms, such as trigger and cable locks, gun safes, and lock boxes. However, in addition to securing firearms, educating children on gun safety should be a priority in the United States. Gun sales are increasing year after year, and it is estimated
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The program never mentions the NRA. Nor does it encourage children to buy guns or to become NRA members ("Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program," 2012, para. 6).
Furthermore, the NRA program ensures that their Eddie Eagle mascot is never depicted touching a firearm, nor is the mascot allowed in the presence of guns. Educating children about gun safety in a neutral setting by eliminating program sponsor information is key to getting the message across.
Another successful program developed in 1992 by the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, called Straight Talk About Risks, or STAR, utilizes some of the same principles as the Eddie Eagle program, but also includes several other significant components such as, role-playing and strategies for dealing with anger and fear.
The additional components offered through STAR would help children know how to cope with peer pressure and peacefully resolve conflict. Additionally, STAR encourages parents to discuss the dangers of firearms with their children. They also provide information to ensure that firearms remain secure and inaccessible to children ("Straight Talk About Risks,"
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Gun owners should not assume that they have a suitable hiding place for their weapons, and that their children will not find it. Children have the uncanny ability to find things that are meant to be withheld from them. In fact, a study involving parents and their children showed that thirty-nine percent of those kids knew where their parent’s kept firearms; twenty-two percent admitted to handing the gun (Boodman, 2006). In any household with children and firearms, gun safety begins in the home with the parents; first by keeping their firearms locked and secure from their children, then by having a conversation about guns. Some parents go a step further by allowing supervised handling of an unloaded firearm, which may resolve some of their children’s curiosity. However, for children who do not have firearms in their homes, it is important to have the conversation in school in the event they come across a firearm at a friend’s
Second I am going to discuss the differences between the two articles. These two articles have a variety of differences. The main difference is how they are going to prevent another shooting. The NRA focuses more on a program called National School Shield Emergency Program. This program focuses getting a trained security officer put in every school to help protect the children. The NRA said that this program will be free to make sure that every school as the chance to get this program. Compared to the NRA, the other article comes up with a variety of ideas to help out with the protection of children. Most of these ideas revolve improving permitting standards. Making them more strict so individuals have to renew them every couple of years. It also talks about going threw safety and fire training requ...
middle of paper ... ... Works Cited Delozier, Dave. A.S. & Y.S. Gun safety program taught to elementary school students | 9news.com. 9news.com. N.p., n.d. Web.
One way the youth are getting their hands on guns so easily are guns in the residence. Not saying guns shouldn’t be in homes, they’re still a way of protecting one’s self and others. Parents just need to do a way better job of concealing their firearms. A significant number of adults with...
Severson, Kim, and Alan Blinder. "Guns at School? If There's A Will, There Are Ways." LexisNexis Academic. LexisNexis, 28 Sept. 2013. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
The NRA commenced promoting shooting sports to American youth by establishing rifle clubs at major colleges, universities, and military academies. Shooting clubs continue on college and university...
Through the year’s shootings have increased by a significant amount. Individuals are becoming affected on a regular basis and are concerned about there safety. Parents are worried for there youth getting assaulted, sexually violence, tormented, kidnaped, murdered on the other hand, now there ending up to be more stressed for there child getting shot. Guns have been around for hundredths of years, both world wars were succeeded with guns, hence, guns were served to defend its nation through history. In Western society citizens purchase guns for self preservation. Unfortunately, they are utilized in opposing ways, the majority of crimes are involved in gun shootings; this is an essential issue in America. Most agree that gun violence will have
“Keeping Kids Safe From Gun Accidents.” ABC News. ABC News. 24 Jan. 2015. Web.
In this article Emmett Tyrell informs us about gun violence in schools and what the NRA has proposed to stop the gun violence, and mass shootings across America. While the gun control debate rages, many schools have become war zones, and all school zones are vulnerable. The National Rifle Association's has come up with a 225-page report contains dozens of recommendations to improve safety in our nation’s schools. The NRA’s National School Shield program will train and enable school personnel to carry firearms to protect our nation’s children.
The first thing that parents should be worried about would be the exposure of guns that their children have. Several families have guns at home because they feel they are secure having them for protection. People buy guns because they believe that where they live,
This article gives a good understanding from a teacher’s standpoint, which most other articles just focus on the government. Obeng focuses on students who may bring a gun into the school and kids who have access to weapons at home rather than just criminals, which is also a good point of view for readers to understand. The authors focus is to show that most teachers are for the students being taught gun safety because they believe it will help the safety of students and the community (p.398). A problem I saw with this study is that was done in 2010, which was before the Sandy Hook incident that took place in 2012 that would probably influence some teachers decision. The Sandy Hook shooting was a focus point in other articles and makes this research study by Obeng a little outdated for this topic. Although I am interested in the teachers view for gun safety, I also believe Obeng would have a stronger case with a larger group of teachers and maybe a separate study with the parents’ opinion on teaching children about gun
With gun sales steadily increasing across the United States, safety becomes a priority with families that have guns in the house. More families now own guns as a means of self-defense. In case of an attempted break in or murder, having a gun in the house can save lives in these types of situation. However, just because you own a gun doesn’t mean you are safe from the power it has. It is a lethal killing machine and sometimes I think this is lost information to many people. Keeping it in a draw or under a bed really isn’t good enough to protect your family from its killing ability. There is a great responsibility that comes with owning a gun that must not be overlooked.
People are constantly worried that children will grow up in an environment where displaying firearms is considered a routine aspect of daily life. To that I ask why not? Why is it bad to have kids understand what a gun is or how to use it properly? You see I see it as the parents just don’t understand how to be safe with guns and that is why they are crippling the youth of our nations. Kids today need to be taught safety guide lines for guns. The parents need to understand as well you can’t constantly live in fear of an object. Yes it can hurt you but most of the time it is because the person carrying the weapon is a moron that just bought it and has no idea how to be safe with it. That is why people should provide evidence of having satisfactorily completed a gun safety program so that they fell safe. When the parents feel safe they can teach their kids to be safe and guns are no longer a fearful object to hate and try to get rid of and instead is a protective instrument that all know how to use
What is someone’s first thought when they hear the word firearm? Fear, safety, pride, unfairness, or other conflicting emotions. The topic of firearms not only in Colorado, but also in the United States has always been a controversial problem. People want safety; it is when fear overrides this instinct that problems arise. A current problem that is presenting itself in the United States is whether or not firearms safety should be taught in school. A firearm is a pistol, rifle, or any other portable gun. This proclamation would teach kids as young as elementary schools how to properly handle and fire a firearm; however, not everyone is for this ruling.
A ubiquitous defense used by supporters of gun control is the claim that adding more restrictions and precautions into the firearm license application process deter crime. Yet a 2013 study indicates that, between 1980 and 2009, "assault weapons bans did not significantly affect murder rates at the state level.” It goes on to report, "states with restrictions on the carrying of concealed weapons had higher gun-related murders." Moreover, Kyle Wintersteen, Managing Editor of Guns and Ammo, says studies show that "children taught about firearms and their legitimate uses by family members have much lower rates of delinquency than children in households without guns" and "children introduced to guns associate them with freedom, security, and recreation—not violence." What is needed to
Current gun laws need reform because there are too many accidental shootings involving young children. Children are at risk. They are curious, so when guns are in a home and not locked up, they have a chance of misusing a gun just because they are exploring the adult world. Chief editor of the NLCATP states, “proponents of the 2nd Amendment sometimes even complain about laws that require a weapon to be secured, citing the idea that if your gun is locked up how will it protect you.” The likeliness of an intruder coming into someone’s home is slim. A child is likely to be in the home everyday. A home security system could prevent a break in from an intruder or allow time for the police to come. With the extra time, a secured gun could be accessed.