How to have a conversation about gun safety featuring Sara Bennett

Guidance on how to apply the tips we previously provided from Sara Bennett an educator, entrepreneur, and a suicide loss survivor.

Tips from Sara:

1. Host a Pre-Playdate Conversation: Sara suggests modeling the behavior you want to see by hosting the playdate first. Before the playdate happens, have a pre-conversation with the other parent about general safety, and if you own guns, be open about your rules for safe storage. This approach sets the tone for safety conversations and makes it easier to replicate the discussion when your child visits their house.

2. Prioritize Pre-Conversations: Avoid awkward doorstep conversations by having the safety talk with the other parent before the playdate. Using text as a communication channel for these pre-conversations can also help remove some of the discomfort associated with the topic.

Tips for the conversation

1. Normalize the Conversation: Sara, says there is a need to make conversations about gun safety as common as discussing allergies or other safety hazards. She models this behavior by initiating playdates at her house, allowing her to set the tone for safety conversations with other parents.

2. Frame It Around Child Safety: She also emphasizes the importance of incorporating gun safety into a wider conversation about child safety. This comprehensive conversation might include discussions about allergies, pets, swimming pools, and more.

3. Be Specific and Propose Solutions: Sara highlights the need to seek specific details about gun storage if a household has firearms. She suggests that one should be aware of what constitutes safe storage—according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, firearms should be unloaded, locked away, and stored separately from ammunition.

4. Offer Understanding: Sara emphasizes a non-judgmental approach. The focus isn't on whether households should own guns, but on ensuring the safe storage of firearms if they are present.

5. Prioritize Safety: If there are any reservations or feelings of discomfort during the pre-conversation about gun safety, Sara recommends prioritizing safety over social engagements. She suggests alternatives such as public parks or returning to a known safe environment like their own home.

McGruff's Gun Safety Video

Remember, there are over 30 million children living in homes with guns. Regardless of our best efforts to ensure gun owners store their firearms securely, there may be times when a child or teen comes across a firearm. What can they do to ensure their safety and that of others around them? This is where education comes into play.

We want to introduce you to a resource that presents this critical information in a way that's accessible and understandable for children and teens: McGruff's Gun Safety Video. In this short video, Scruff, McGruff's lovable sidekick, breaks down gun safety into four easy steps:

1. Stop

2. Don't Touch

3. Get Away

4. Tell an Adult

You can watch the video with your child here.

Open the lines of communication, discuss the dangers of firearms, and let your children know that it's okay to talk about guns. They should never feel afraid to report a firearm they come across, even if they or a friend stumbled upon it while exploring places they shouldn't.

We must take it upon ourselves to ensure that our children understand the gravity of gun safety. Use tools like the McGruff video to break down the conversation and make it easier for them to comprehend. And remember, while it's essential to educate our children, the onus of gun safety ultimately rests with us, the adults.

Keep our kids safe from gun death and injury in the home

With routines disrupted due to summer plans, kids may find themselves spending more time in homes with guns. As such, July is the perfect month to begin conversations with the gun owners in your life, discussing the steps they can take to increase gun safety within their home. Today we will focus on one very effective solution: safe storage.

To begin, what is safe storage really? 

Per the American Academy of Pediatrics, safe storage means all guns are stored (when not in use) in a locked gun safe, cabinet or case, locked in a gun rack or stored with a trigger or cable lock. Ammunition should be locked in a separate location.

To understand the gravity of the situation, consider these facts

In 2020, 2,281 children under age 18 were killed by firearms, and of these deaths, 721 (31.6 percent) were classified as suicide and 121 (5.3 percent) were classified as unintentional (calculated using data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022b).

• A recent national survey estimated that 30 million children in the United States live in households with firearms (Miller and Azrael, 2022).

• Although multiple studies have found that living in a household with a child under the age of 18 is associated with higher rates of secure firearm storage (Berrigan et al., 2019; Crifasi et al., 2018a; Salhi, Azrael, and Miller, 2021), a 2021 national survey indicated that in nearly half of households with both firearms and children, guns are stored unlocked; in an estimated 15 percent of these homes, guns are stored loaded and unlocked (Miller and Azrael, 2022; see also Berrigan et al., 2019).

• Most unintentional shooting victims are boys, often shot by a friend or relative, especially a brother.

• Nearly 40% of unintentional shooting deaths among children aged 11-14 occur in the home of a friend.

• Adolescents are at higher risk for suicide when a gun is present in the home.

It's clear that the presence and accessibility of firearms in our homes have profound impacts on our childrens’ safety. This is one of the reasons we created the W/S STRONG Rules of Firearm Safety. These rules, developed in collaboration with the National Shooting Sports Foundation, focus on the responsible handling and safe storage of firearms. With more children at home during the summer, this training couldn’t be more relevant.

We can strive to educate children about gun safety, but ultimately the responsibility lies with us, the gun owners. Despite our best intentions, studies show children may not always react safely when encountering a firearm. Therefore, the best line of defense remains safe storage and limited accessibility of firearms. According to a recently published JAMA Pediatrics study, if 20% more gun owners safely stored, up to a third of youth accidents and suicides could be avoided.

How to Have Conversations About Firearm Safety With Loved Ones & Friends

When our children visit other homes for birthday parties, playdates, or family gatherings, we naturally want to know they'll be safe. In a country where 1 in 3 homes with children has a gun, initiating a conversation about firearm safety is a key part of that assurance.

Here are some tips to approach this delicate conversation:

• Normalize the Conversation: Begin by discussing general safety precautions, like allergies, swimming pool safety, and pets. Seamlessly include firearm safety in this list to keep the conversation from feeling awkward or confrontational.

• Frame it Around Child Safety: Explain that your priority is your child’s safety and well-being, and you ask about firearms just as you would ask about other potential hazards. Remember, this is not a discussion about someone's right to own a gun, but about ensuring the safety of all children present.

• Be Specific: When you ask about firearms, be specific. Are they stored in a secure place? Are they unloaded and locked away, with ammunition stored separately?

• Propose Solutions: If you discover firearms aren't stored safely, suggest easy fixes. Share information about Whitney/Strong’s STRONG Rules, buying a gun lock, and McGruff's Gun Safety video for children. 

• Offer Understanding: Recognize that people have different comfort levels with this topic. Be patient, listen, and keep the focus on child safety.

• Prioritize Safety: Be very cautious. If you cannot confirm that firearms are stored safely, this is not a home you want your child to play in. 

Bringing up firearm safety may feel uncomfortable at first, but with time, it will become a regular part of your safety checks when your child is away from home. By initiating these conversations, you not only ensure the safety of your own child but also raise awareness about the importance of secure firearm storage.