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Teaching firearm safety to children: failure of a program
1Department of Psychology, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida 33711, USA. hardyms.eckerd.edu
Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP
|April 11, 2002
Summary
A firearm safety program did not reduce children's play with guns. Researchers found no difference in gun play between children who did and did not receive the safety training.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Safety
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Childhood access to firearms remains a significant public health concern.
- Previous interventions have focused on education and skills-based training to prevent unsafe firearm handling.
- Understanding children's behavior around firearms is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a skills-based firearm safety program in deterring children aged 4-7 years from engaging with firearms.
- To assess the impact of the intervention on children's gun-play behavior in a controlled environment.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 70 children (34 intervention, 36 control) aged 4-7 years.
- Participants were exposed to a week-long firearm safety program or a control condition.
- Post-intervention, children were observed in a structured play setting with access to a semiautomatic pistol.
Main Results:
- 53% of child pairs engaged in gun play, with no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups.
- Interview data indicated discrepancies between parent and child reports on gun ownership and parental underestimation of children's interest in guns.
Conclusions:
- Skills-based firearm safety programs may not be effective in reducing children's play with firearms.
- Parental awareness regarding gun ownership and children's interest in firearms may be inaccurate, highlighting a need for comprehensive safety approaches.