Study Claims Those Who Train Kids in Gun Safety Store Guns Less Safely

MaverickNH

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"Rutgers Health researchers have found that parents who actively teach their children how to handle or shoot firearms are more likely to store loaded guns in unsecured locations."

My Comment submitted to JAMA Pediatrics:

"This article indicates that those who profess to have trained their children in gun safety admit to storing a gun less safely - loaded/unlocked. A well-known behavior is that people who act irresponsibly are less likely to admit their irresponsible actions. Unsecure gun storage around children has been deemed irresponsible in the popular media and some medical professionals screen and council their patients against unsafe gun storage. Could it be that those gun owners who do not train their children on gun safety believe not training them in gun safety is considered by others as irresponsible, and are thus less likely to admit they store guns unsafely, biasing the outcomes of this study?"
 

"Rutgers Health researchers have found that parents who actively teach their children how to handle or shoot firearms are more likely to store loaded guns in unsecured locations."

My Comment submitted to JAMA Pediatrics:

"This article indicates that those who profess to have trained their children in gun safety admit to storing a gun less safely - loaded/unlocked. A well-known behavior is that people who act irresponsibly are less likely to admit their irresponsible actions. Unsecure gun storage around children has been deemed irresponsible in the popular media and some medical professionals screen and council their patients against unsafe gun storage. Could it be that those gun owners who do not train their children on gun safety believe not training them in gun safety is considered by others as irresponsible, and are thus less likely to admit they store guns unsafely, biasing the outcomes of this study?"

One of the countless problems with their suppositions is that, conservatively minded people tend not to answer surveys and there is simply no valid way to GET data.

I would be far more interested in a study that accurately documented the occurrence of safety "incidents" in homes where gun safety is taught to the kids. Incidents such as accidental (or otherwise) shootings of or by family members.

Just possibly THOSE households have fewer such incents, despite (or because) of the readily available loaded firearms.
 
I think these academic authors are so unaware of gun culture that they think parents who say they allow their children to handle and fire guns have not provided them with instruction on safety.

Had they asked, do you allow your children to handle and fire guns without having had any instruction on gun safety, they would have seen very different answers.

A lot of shootings are perpetrated by gangbanger kids without parental approval and/or instruction in safe handling of firearms.

Authors seldom reply to comments on the publication site. As journalists rarely look at the actual publication, they only write their articles based on press releases from the school press office. By Monday, this will be another fact in the gun control arsenal.
 
What’s their definition of “less safely”? Is it breaking down the weapon into multiple pieces? Or storing them at your local friendly police dept? Or storing them with unloaded mags and ammo locked away somewhere else?
I’d be curious to know what experience these people have in firearms, or is it just in academics bs and scientific studies.

Title should read:

Study Claims Those Who Train Kids in Gun Safety Store Guns More Smartly​

 
For anyone who has read the actual PDF, do they define what "storing at least 1 firearm unlocked and loaded" actually means?
 
What’s their definition of “less safely”? Is it breaking down the weapon into multiple pieces? Or storing them at your local friendly police dept? Or storing them with unloaded mags and ammo locked away somewhere else?
I’d be curious to know what experience these people have in firearms, or is it just in academics bs and scientific studies.

Title should read:

Study Claims Those Who Train Kids in Gun Safety Store Guns More Smartly​

"Results| The survey included 870 parents (415males[47.7%], 455females[52.3%]; mean[SD]age, 41.44[8.95]years) (Table1).Among these parents, 412(47.3%) demonstrated proper firearm handling for their children, 321(36.8%)had their children practice firearm handling under their supervision,and 324(37.3%) taught their children how to shoot their firearms. After adjustment, each of these parental behaviors was associated with storing at least 1 firearm unlocked and and loaded (adjusted odds ratio[AOR], 2.03[ 95%CI,1.07-3.84]; AOR, 2.29 [95%CI,1.23-4.29; AOR, 2.27 [95%CI,1.20-4.31])(Table2)."

Notably, the adjusted odds ratios are very low. Most do not accept odds ratios less than three as significant. Gun control papers get a special exception.
 
Life is about free choices and balance of risks. Parents should make the training/locking decision according to their children’s training and maturity, and deal with the consequences of their choices. It not the state’s job to make the decision for them and attach a multi-year sentence to it if the parents choose differently.

I always bring up the Merced pitchfork murder case against secure storage laws:
 
I let my 4 year old shoot my 12g(braced against my knee) yesterday.. the smile was worth it.

My mom is freaked out about this stuff though... none of my unloaded guns are locked
 

"Rutgers Health researchers have found that parents who actively teach their children how to handle or shoot firearms are more likely to store loaded guns in unsecured locations."

My Comment submitted to JAMA Pediatrics:

"This article indicates that those who profess to have trained their children in gun safety admit to storing a gun less safely - loaded/unlocked. A well-known behavior is that people who act irresponsibly are less likely to admit their irresponsible actions. Unsecure gun storage around children has been deemed irresponsible in the popular media and some medical professionals screen and council their patients against unsafe gun storage. Could it be that those gun owners who do not train their children on gun safety believe not training them in gun safety is considered by others as irresponsible, and are thus less likely to admit they store guns unsafely, biasing the outcomes of this study?"

Study shows kids who are excellent swimmers don't use flotation devices.

Duh.
 
Since guns don’t randomly fire, it’s just as safe and reasonable in many many circumstances to leave a gun wherever you want vs. keeping it locked away and unloaded.
 
I grew up in a house with loaded handguns in each of my folk’s nightstands. We started shooting at age 5 with NRA classes and range time that focused on gun safety. My brother and I were smart enough not to let our friends into my parents bedroom, so no risk of others gaining access. Accidents happen when an untrained kid finds the gun that the parents tried to hide.

I’ve been advocating for decades that K-12 school curriculum include some basic gun safety. I’m not suggesting indoctrinating into the gun culture, just making sure kids know the basics because guns are prolific in America. Have the SRO teach it rather than the regular teacher. Grades K-3: if you see a gun don’t touch it and tell an adult. Grades 4-6: here is how ro make the gun safe by unloading it. Grades 7-9: basic de escalation/disarming tactics for armed classmates and more advanced gun disassembly to further make safe. Grades 10-12: advanced de escalation/disarming tactics that could be used anywhere. I know the teachers unions would never go for anything that doesn’t strictly vilify firearms, but I think a lot of the dumb kid found dad’s gun and shot their friend incidents could be avoided. With all the other shit the schools waste time on this seems like a no brainer.
 
Destruction of Family, Check
Destruction of Religion, Check
Destruction of Respect for Authority, Check
Education becomes indoctrination camps, Check
Overwhelm the system, Check
Get rid of the ability of citizenry to protect themselves, NOT
 
Parents that don’t molest their children, are far less likely to have children they molested ..it’s just circular logic.
 
If my kids are safe around guns, then how I store them is irrelevant.

My kids make sure to tell me when they are having friends over, and if needed the guns are secured.


I've changed Eddie Eagle's mantra with my kids. Instead of "Stop. Don't touch. Tell an adult" my kids "Stop. Don't touch. Send someone to get a competent adult. Inform police that I will take gun if it isn't claimed." I think the EE idea is great, but kids who know guns are better to secure it than just running to get help. And not every adult is competent or safe. And if it's just a homeless gun, then we should be able to adopt it.
 
I definitely plan on teaching my kid gun safety but I'll always lock up my guns anyways - little cousins come over all the time and I certainly don't trust them not to get curious with their little hands.
 
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