One of the most important jobs of growing up is to learn to understand cause and effect.
Young children develop this life-long cognitive skill by actively exploring their world. When your baby flaps her arms in the bathtub to cause a splash, she is using trial and error to discover the rules about how the objects around her work and how she can play a role in making things happen.
But a child’s natural curiosity can cause some effects that bring very costly lessons — according to the Center for Disease Control, unintentional injuries are the most common cause of death of children over age 1.
Natural curiosity and guns: not a great combination
It is estimated that firearms are present in about one-third of all U.S. homes with children, making them extremely common hazards. Many parents hope to keep their children safe by keeping firearms hidden.
But because of a young child’s natural, and developmentally appropriate, curiosity about guns, the most common age for a child to accidentally shoot and kill themselves is age 3, according to a study by USA TODAY Network and the Associated Press. In fact, most accidental, self-inflicted shootings occur among children who are less than 5 years old.
Keeping your child safe if you have a gun in the house
About half of these accidental shootings take place in the child’s own home. If you or your partner own any firearms, educate yourself about safe storage practices, such as these recommended by the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Project Child Safe:
- Store in separate locations: Unloaded firearms should be stored in a locked gun cabinet, safe, vault or storage case, and ammunition should be stored in a locked location separate from firearms. Store the keys for the gun and the ammunition out of reach of children and in a different area from where you store household keys. Or, use biometric locks that allow only the gun owner to access the gun or ammunition.
- Take extra locking precautions: Gun locking devices (trigger locks or cable locks) render firearms inoperable and, while not a substitute for secure storage, can be used in addition.
- Unload your guns: Thoroughly double-check firearms to confirm they are unloaded when you remove them from and return them to storage. Accidents could occur if an adult family member borrows a gun and returns it to storage while still loaded.
- Remain vigilant: Adults should never leave any firearm unattended when handling or cleaning, even for a moment.
- Assess your risk factors: If there is mental illness, drug/alcohol abuse, or violence within the household, ensure firearms are inaccessible to those older children or adults at risk, as well.
Protecting your children from guns outside the house
About 40 percent of accidental shootings of young children occur in the home of a friend or relative, so it is important to ask anyone who hosts your children about their household’s firearm storage practices.
This includes neighbors, extended family, paid or family babysitters and parents of playmates. Ask questions until you are confident that any firearms are not merely hidden, but are locked and secure.
The Asking Saves Kids campaign of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Coalition to Prevent Youth Violence recommends asking about guns along with other issues you might normally discuss before taking your child to someone’s house, such as car seats, animals or allergies.
It is a child’s job to touch, explore and try new things in a constant effort to discover their world. Working together, you and your friends, neighbors and family can help your children safely exercise their curiosity, so they can continue to learn from those beneficial lessons that help their brains grow.
More resources
- “Protecting Your Child from Gun Injury: A Child’s Curiosity Can Lead to Severe Injury or Death,” from the Massachusetts Medical Society
- “Your Child is on the Move: Reduce the Risk of Gun Injury,” from the American Association of Pediatrics
- “Raising Safe Kids: One Stage at a Time,” from Safe Kids Worldwide
This article was originally written for Penfield Children's Center.