More than 26,000 school systems, law enforcement agencies, and civic groups have used The Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program to reach millions youths since 1988. Eddie Eagle has been teaching gun safety for nearly 25 years and has now reached over 25 million youths in every state of our nation.
In 1997 the Washington State legislature approved a bill that made The Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program a recommendation for all Washington school district curriculums. In the fifteen years that have followed since that recommendation, we know of no school district that has taken advantage to this recommendation and made a youth gun safety program available to any Washington State family. A new bill is currently being drafted that would make The Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program a requirement for all Washington State Schools.
The Parents’ Responsibility:
In a home where guns are kept, the degree of safety a child has rests squarely on the child’s parents.
Parents who accept the responsibility to learn, practice and teach gun safety rules to their family will ensure their child’s safety to a much greater extent than those who do not. Parental responsibility does not end, however, when the child leaves the home.
According to federal statistics, there are guns in approximately half of all Washington households. Even if no one in your family owns a gun, chances are that someone you know does. Your child could come in contact with a gun at a neighbor’s house, when playing with friends, or under other circumstances outside your home.
It is critical for your child to know what to do if he or she encounters a firearm anywhere, and it is the parents’ responsibility to provide that training.
Talking With Your Child About Gun Safety:
There is no particular age to talk with your child about gun safety. A good time to introduce the subject is the first time he or she shows an interest in firearms, even toy pistols or rifles. Talking openly and honestly about gun safety with your child is usually more effective than just ordering him or her to “Stay out of the gun closet,” and leaving it at that. Such statements may just stimulate a child’s natural curiosity to investigate further.
As with any safety lesson, explaining the rules and answering a child’s questions help remove the mystery surrounding guns. Any rules set for your own child should also apply to friends who visit the home. This will help keep your child from being pressured into showing a gun to a friend.
Toy Guns vs. Real Guns:
It is also advisable, particularly with very young children, to discuss gun use on TV as opposed to gun use in real life. Firearms are often handled carelessly in movies and on TV. Additionally, children see TV and movie characters shot and “killed” with well-documented frequency. When a young child sees that same actor appear in another movie or TV show, confusion between entertainment and real life may result. It may be a mistake to assume that your child knows the difference between being “killed” on TV and in reality.
If your child has toy guns, you may want to use them to demonstrate safe gun handling and to explain how they differ from genuine firearms. Even though an unsupervised child should not have access to a gun, there should be no chance that he or she could mistake a real gun for a toy.
What Should You Teach Your Child About Gun Safety?
If you have decided that your child is not ready to be trained in a gun’s handling and use, teach him or her to follow the instructions in NRA’s Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program.
Basic Gun Safety Rules:
Whether or not you own a gun, it is important to know these rules so that you may insist that others follow them.
ALWAYS treat every firearm as a LOADED firearm.
NEVER point the muzzle at anything you are not willing to DESTROY. Whether you are shooting, or simply handling a gun, never point it at yourself or others. Common sense will tell you which direction is safest. Outdoors, it is generally safe to point the gun toward the ground, or, if you are on a shooting range, then it would be towards the target. Indoors, be mindful of the fact that a bullet can penetrate ceilings, floors, walls, windows, and doors.
ALWAYS keep your finger OFF THE TRIGGER until you have made the decision to shoot.
When holding a gun, rest your trigger finger outside the trigger guard alongside the gun. Until you are actually ready to fire, do not touch the trigger.
BEFORE making the decision to shoot, KNOW YOUR TARGET and what is BEYOND. This includes shooting into the air.
ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use. If you do not know how to check to see if a gun is unloaded, leave it alone. Carefully secure it, being certain to point it safely and to keep your finger off the trigger, and seek competent assistance.
Gun Owners’ Responsibilities:
Most states impose some form of legal duty on adults to take reasonable steps to deny access by children to dangerous substances or instruments. It is the individual gun owner’s responsibility to understand and follow all laws regarding gun purchase, ownership, storage, transport, etc. Please contact Northwest Safety First for information regarding such laws. If you own a gun and do not know how to operate it, do not experiment with it. Point it in a safe direction, keep your finger off the trigger, and store it securely. Seek competent assistance and instruction at once. An untrained adult can be a s dangerous as a curious child.
Store guns so that they are inaccessible to children and other unauthorized users. There are a wide variety of safes, cases, and other security devices available. While specific security measures may vary, a parent must, in every case, assess the exposure of the firearm and absolutely ensure that it is inaccessible to a child.
Where To Get Training:
The time may come when you or your family members want to learn how to handle and shoot a gun safely. In the case of a child, his or her attitude, learning ability, and physical and emotional maturity are some of the factors to be weighed before allowing formal instruction to begin.
When a parent decides a young person is ready, many training opportunities are available through Northwest Safety First. For more information about taking one of our courses, please call (360) 378-1776.
DISCLOSURE: This blog is not intended as a complete course in gun safety and is not a substitute for formal, qualified instruction in the handling, use, or storage of firearms. The guidelines herein should be considered options to minimize the chance of an accident occurring in the home.
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