FIREARM SAFETY

FOR CHILDREN
Information and
Prevention

April 2009
Training Objectives
Recognize the importance of firearm
safety.
Identify ways parents and adults can
keep children safe from firearms.
Identify what a child can do if they see
a gun, and be able to teach these steps
to a child.
 Firearm Use
Mishandling or playing with guns can
lead to tragedy. With appropriate care,
maintenance and securing of firearms,
deaths due to accidental firearm
injuries should never occur.
 Statistics
In the United States, about 100 children
(through 17 years of age) die each year
from unintentional shootings. Almost
five times as many are wounded.
Boys are far more likely to be victims of
unintentional firearm deaths than girls.
In the United States, 70% of the
unintentional firearm shootings
involved handguns.
Most unintentional childhood shooting
deaths involve guns kept in the home
that have been left loaded and
accessible to children.
Unintentional shootings among
children most often occur when
children are unsupervised and out of
school.
Children as young as 3-years old are
strong enough to pull the trigger of
many handguns available in the United
States.
Nearly two-thirds of parents with
school-age children, who have guns in
their home, believe that the firearm is
safe from their children. One study
found that when a gun was in the
home, 75-80% of first and second
graders knew where the gun was kept.
 Missouri Child Firearm Deaths
In 2008, seven Missouri children died as a
result of unintentional firearm injuries.
Of the seven unintentional firearm deaths
reviewed by Child Fatality Review Program
Panels in 2008, four involved a gun that was
owned by a family member.
All seven of the Missouri children who died
as a result of unintentional firearm injury in
2008, were killed with a gun that was
accessible to children or not locked or
securely stored.
In 2008, five of the seven child victims
of unintentional shootings were male
and two were female.
In 2008, six of the seven unintentional
firearm deaths among children involved
handguns. One involved a shotgun.
Two boys had been shooting at
groundhogs. A 12-year old left the
loaded gun on his bed, while his friend
was jumping on the bed. The gun went
off, striking the 12-year old, who
suffered massive internal injuries.
While preparing for a hunting trip, a
father left a handgun on a kitchen
counter where he believed it would not
be accessible. A 2-year old climbed on
a chair, got the gun and shot himself
while playing.
Two boys were pretending to shoot at
each other, when one shot the other in
the temple with a .38 caliber derringer.
What Can Parents Do To Keep
Their Kids Safe?
Parents who own guns should always
store firearms unloaded and locked up.
Ammunition should be locked in a
separate location, out of the children’s
reach. Gun locks, load indicators and
other safety devices should be used on
all firearms.
 Keep Children Safe
Parents should teach their children the
difference between a toy gun and real gun.
When children see someone on television
being killed, they need to be taught the
difference between a television death and a
“real life” death.
(National Rifle Association)
Safety lessons that explain the rules for
gun safety should be done openly with
time for the child to ask questions.
If your child is 11-years old or older,
and expresses an interest in hunting,
enroll them in a Hunter Education
Safety Course. Missouri mandates
Hunter Education Programs for anyone
born on or after January 1, 1967.
Hunter Education Programs teach
participants how to handle firearms
safely at home and while hunting. For
more information, access the Missouri
Department of Conservation’s website
at: http://mdc.mo.gov/hunt/heclass-
search.html
 Ten Commandments
of Gun Safety
1. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a
safe direction.
2. Guns should be unloaded when not
actually in use.
3. Don't rely on the gun's "safety". Treat
every gun as if it can fire at any time.
4. Be sure of the target and what's
beyond it.
5. Use correct ammunition.
6. If the gun fails to fire when the trigger
is pulled, HANDLE WITH CARE.
7. Always wear eye and ear protection
when shooting.
8. Be sure the barrel is clear of
obstructions before shooting.
9. Don't alter or modify the gun. Do
have the gun serviced regularly.
10. Learn the mechanical and handling
characteristics of the firearm used. Do
not use any firearm that you have not
had adult instruction in handling.

(Missouri Department of Conservation)

 If Children See A Gun…
Stop!
Don’t touch the gun.
Leave the area where the gun is
located.
Go tell an adult about the gun.

(National Rifle Association, Eddie Eagle Program)

 For More Information
National Rifle Association, Gun Safety Rules:
http://www.nrahq.org/education/guide.asp
National Rifle Association, Eddie Eagle Gun
Safety Program:
http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/index.asp
Kid’s Health, Gun Safety:
http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/house/gun_sa
fety.html
Project Child Safe:
http://www.projectchildsafe.org/
 Missouri Department of Social Services
State Technical Assistance Team
Address:
PO Box 208
Jefferson City, MO 65102-
0208
Telephone:
(573) 751-5980
(800) 487-1626
(8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST,
Monday – Friday)
Email:
 dls.stat@dss.mo.gov