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Kids
and Guns, A Dangerous Combination
by South Carolina SAFE KIDS Coalition
Firearms
are a common household threat for children in the United States.
Nearly half of U.S homes have some type of firearm and one in
four have a handgun. The presence of firearms in the home increases
the risk of firearm injury to children.
"It's
not uncommon for parents or caregivers to have unrealistic perceptions
about children's capabilities and behavioral tendencies with regard
to guns," said Ree Mallison of the South Carolina SAFE KIDS
Coalition. "Often, there are misunderstandings about a child's
ability to gain access to and fire a gun: distinguish whether
it's real or a toy, make sound judgments about handling the gun
and follow gun safety rules."
Nearly
25% of all firearm-related deaths to children ages 14 and under
die from unintentional shootings each year; more than 60% occur
to children ages 10 to 14. In
a recent study researchers found that 25% of 3-4 year olds and
70% of 5 to 6 year olds had enough strength to pull the trigger
of nearly all of the 54 types of handguns sold in the United States.
The
National SAFE KIDS Campaign and the South Carolina SAFE KIDS
Coalition urge parents and caregivers to follow these basic
firearms safety rules:
1.
teach children never to touch a gun and to tell an adult if
they find one.
2.
teach
you children the differences between a toy gun and a real gun.
Make sure they understand that real guns can seriously hurt
or kill a person.
3.
If you must have a gun in the home store and lock the gun
and bullets separately and out of a child's reach.
4.
make
sure your gun is equipped with trigger locks and loading indicators.
The
South Carolina SAFE KIDS Coalition, led by the South Carolina
Health Alliance, is part of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, the
first and only national organization dedicated solely to the prevention
of unintentional childhood injury-the number one killer of children
ages 14 and under. More than 260 State and local SAFE KIDS Coalitions
in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are
taking part in the Campaign. Vice President Al Gore and Tipper
Gore are honorary chats and former US Surgeon General C. Everett
Koop, MD, ScD., is Chairman of the Campaign.
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