50 Facts

My topic was every week, an average of 54 children are expelled from American schools for bringing a gun to class. I was excited to talk about this topic because I have had numerous encounters with gun problems in high school. Overall I feel the conversation went well. There was a consensus that both the school and the parents need to be held responsible for the children’s actions. I am glad everyone agreed on the topic and how the issue should be handled.

Personally I believe that the parents need to be better informed about teaching their children gun safety. Dr. G talked about how there was a study done that had the parents watch as there children were exposed to a gun. The children went ahead and not only picked up the gun but were shooting others and themselves. Parents have placed there children in programs designed to teach gun safety to children. However, research has found these programs ineffective; however, parents still trust them. If parents honestly believe that there children know not to play with a gun then they become more reckless with the guns they hold in their household. This could include not locking it in a safe or forgetting to place the safety on. The parent’s recklessness is a major contribution to the number of injuries and deaths of children by guns. Parents need to take more responsibility in caring about there children’s safety. After reading this fact, it reminded me of a very distinct high school experience. My senior year I remember working in the principles office when a parent came in furious that her child got suspended from school for bringing a bb gun to school. The principle explained how dangerous the gun could have been, but the parent just did not see a problem with bringing a gun to school. I was absolutely shocked that a parent did not see the problem. It was just reckless parenting and it needs to be addressed. Parents should care about there children’s well-being.

Gun safety is only a part of the problem. During the discussion in class it was brought up that the problem could stem from psychological problems in the children. It makes sense that there is something else going on that causes the child to start shooting the gun. There is a difference between a child finding a gun in the closet and bringing it to school to show off to his/her friends and a child looking for revenge. Children with social problems can be identified very early in the schooling system. One of the best ways to fix this problem would be to find help for the children that show the early warning signs.

I really enjoyed presenting this topic. The 50 facts book has opened my eyes to so many problems in the world that never really crossed my mind. Some of the topics like this one I have thought of but never saw the overall impact. I am looking forward to reading more facts that are influencing the world around us.

I included the abstracts Dr. G sent us in the email
*Parental Misperceptions About Children and Firearms*
This study found that many parents who were living in homes with firearms and who reported that their children had never handled firearms in their homes were contradicted by their children's self-reports. Furthermore, the study also found that those parents who locked their guns and discussed gun safety with their children were as likely to be contradicted as parents who did not take such safety measures.[Authors: Baxley (San Francisco General Hospital) and Miller (Harvard School of Public Health). Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 160: 542-547, 5/30/2006]

*Guns in the Family: Firearm Storage Patterns in U.S. Homes with Children*
This study, a RAND analysis of data regarding firearm ownership and storage patterns, found that of U.S. families with children and firearms, fewer than half store their firearms unloaded, locked, and away from ammunition.[Authors: Schuster, Franke, Bastian, Sor, and Halfon (UCLA School of Public Health/RAND Center for Research on Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health). RAND (also American Journal of Public Health 90:588-594), 4/1/2000]

*Boys, in Study, Find and Handle Guns; One in Four Pull Trigger*
This study, entitled "Seeing Is Believing: What Do Boys Do When They Find a Real Gun?" shows that most young boys who discover a concealed firearm are likely to handle it and even pull the trigger, regardless of what they are taught about gun safety at home or if the gun is real or a toy.[Authors: Jackman, Farah (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia), Kellermann, and Simon (Emory University School of Medicine and Center for Injury Control). Pediatrics (Journal of AAP) 107:1247-1250, 6/1/2001]

*Study Finds Gun Safety Training for Kids Ineffective; Parents Must Prevent Unsupervised Access*
This comprehensive issue, entitled "Children, Youth, and Gun Violence," finds that programs to train kids to stay away from guns, or behave responsibly on their own around guns, do not work. The report suggests that instead of trying to change youth behavior around guns, parents should focus on keeping kids away from unsupervised contact with guns, whether at home or in the community. [The Future of Children 12 (Journal of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation) , 8/1/2002]

*Study Shows that Guns in School Shootings Come from Home or Friend/Relative's Home*
This study entitled, "Source of Firearms Used by Students in School-Associated Violent Deaths -- United States, 1992-1999," concludes that among the incidents for which data are available, the majority of the firearms used in school-associated violent deaths were obtained from perpetrators' homes or from friends or relatives. [CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Reports, 3/7/2003]

*Gun Storage Practices and the Risk of Youth Suicide and Unintentional Injuries*
This study found that the risk of youth suicide is increased with the presence of a firearm in the house. The risk of unintentional firearm injuries is also significantly increased when a gun is accessible in the home. In order to prevent these injuries, it is recommended that certain safety precautions be taken. This study shows how these precautions decrease the risk of injury and death.[JAMA, 2/9/2005]

*Restricting Access to Guns May Be the Most Efficient Way to Help Prevent Suicide in Adolescents Under 16*
Researchers suggest that restricting access to guns may be the most efficient way to help prevent suicide in adolescents under 16, as psychiatric problems appear to play less of a role in this younger age group, according to a report in the December issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. [Reuters Health/Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 12/21/1999]

*Study Shows Guns May Hold Unique Allure for Young Boys*
This study, entitled "Effects of Gun Admonitions on the Behaviors and Attitudes of School-Aged Boys," showed the discrepancy between what boys say and what boys do when it comes to firearms. While many boys say they are not interested in playing with guns, many will still touch a gun if left alone with one. Read Press Release.Author: Hardy (Eckerd College). Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics 24:352-358, 10/1/2003--