“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
–Benjamin Franklin
Preventing unintentional shootings
Every year, guns cause thousands of unintentional deaths and injuries. The unsafe storage of firearms is a public health and safety issue in the United States. In America, nearly 4.6 million children live in a home with an unlocked, loaded gun.
On average, eight children are shot every week as the result of unintentional shootings. These tragedies are avoidable.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) believes that “[t]he absence of guns from children’s homes and communities is the most reliable and effective measure to prevent firearm-related injuries in children and adolescents.” But, for those who choose to own a gun, the AAP recommends that all firearms be stored unloaded and locked, with the ammunition stored separately, to help reduce a child’s risk of injury.
The ASK (Asking Saves Kids) Campaign encourages parents to include a simple question: “Is there an unlocked gun where my child plays?” in their safety conversations with other parents. Parents ask about pool safety, seat belt use, and the storage of medicines and other dangerous chemicals, but many do not think about gun safety in the same accord. ASKing has the potential to save a child’s life and avoid these senseless tragedies.
Since 2000, the ASK Campaign and its supporters have partnered with over 400 grassroots organizations to spread its message in neighborhoods nationwide. The ASK Campaign is a collaboration between the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The ASK Campaign has successfully inspired 19 million households to ask if there are guns where their children play.
Additionally, Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety have created the Be Smart campaign which seeks to educate adults about how to talk about gun safety with children and steps they can take to reduce suicides by gun and accidental shootings by children.
On average, eight children are shot every week as the result of unintentional shootings. These tragedies are avoidable.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) believes that “[t]he absence of guns from children’s homes and communities is the most reliable and effective measure to prevent firearm-related injuries in children and adolescents.” But, for those who choose to own a gun, the AAP recommends that all firearms be stored unloaded and locked, with the ammunition stored separately, to help reduce a child’s risk of injury.
The ASK (Asking Saves Kids) Campaign encourages parents to include a simple question: “Is there an unlocked gun where my child plays?” in their safety conversations with other parents. Parents ask about pool safety, seat belt use, and the storage of medicines and other dangerous chemicals, but many do not think about gun safety in the same accord. ASKing has the potential to save a child’s life and avoid these senseless tragedies.
Since 2000, the ASK Campaign and its supporters have partnered with over 400 grassroots organizations to spread its message in neighborhoods nationwide. The ASK Campaign is a collaboration between the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The ASK Campaign has successfully inspired 19 million households to ask if there are guns where their children play.
Additionally, Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety have created the Be Smart campaign which seeks to educate adults about how to talk about gun safety with children and steps they can take to reduce suicides by gun and accidental shootings by children.
Resources
Find out more about the ASK Campaign.
Research more about The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
Read Everytown’s reports.
Learn more about safe storage policies from the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
Research from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute.
Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety
Learn about the Be Smart campaign
Find out more about the ASK Campaign.
Research more about The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
Read Everytown’s reports.
Learn more about safe storage policies from the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
Research from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute.
Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety
Learn about the Be Smart campaign
21 children & teens shot every dayOn average, 8 children and teens, ages 1-17, are shot unintentionally each day.
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Children know where the guns areA 2002 study found that 76% of children ages 5-14 know where firearms are kept in the home. Of the parents who reported that their child did not know the storage location of the household’s guns, 39% were contradicted by their child’s report.
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Shot in homes or familiar placesApproximately 89% of the children and teens that are killed in unintentional shootings are shot in their own homes.
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