Gun Accidents Among Children
“Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. ” This is a phrase that has been used carelessly over the years. Gun accidents are continuously increasing, and innocent children are the ones who are suffering from this carelessness. What happens when those guns lie in the hands of our children? Parents lose children, grandparents lose grandchildren, and siblings lose a brother or a sister. Every nine hours a child, under the age of fifteen, dies from a firearm accident. What could be done to ensure that tragedies like this do not happen?
Children’s television programs should stop showing violence, parents and children need to be more educated on this issue, guns should be locked up, and gun laws need to be stricter. One reason why gun accidents are occurring with children is because of the violence shown on television programs and video games. Children watch more and more television each day. Children also rely a lot on video games for entertainment. The television shows children watch oftentimes show violence. Video games show people killing “monsters” with guns. The monster then gets back up and the game continues.
Children are very impressionable. What do children think when they see this? The children see this happening on games and television shows and believe the gun is just a toy. They do not see how truly dangerous guns are. Then, children see a real gun and play with it. They shoot themselves or another child believing that they will be just fine. This is because that is all they have ever seen. Parents need to monitor children’s television shows and video games carefully. Another reason why gun accidents are occurring with children is because of the lack of gun safety education with parents and children.
Parents do not have a full understanding of how many accidents happen due to guns. Every parent should teach their children how dangerous guns are. Telling a child to not touch a gun is not enough. Explain to children what happens when they play with a gun. There are so many programs available for parents to learn as well as to teach children gun safety. Tell them how they, themselves, could get hurt or hurt another child. Teach them to never play with a gun, to let an adult know if they see one. A child as young as three has the strength to pull the trigger. It is a parent’s right to decide hether their children play with toy guns or not. If they choose to do so, educating them on the difference of a toy gun and a real gun is very important. Also, children should not be allowed to pretend to shoot a person. Children eight years and younger cannot tell the difference in a real or pretend gun. One of the most important reasons why gun accidents are occurring with children is because of the accessibility of guns. One-third of every American family that owns a gun does not keep it locked up. Having a gun “put up” is not going to stop a child from accessing it.
In 72% of gun accident deaths, injuries, and suicides, in children from 0-19 years old, the gun was kept in their home, a relative’s home, or a friend’s home. That is a large amount of accidents that could have been prevented. Guns and ammunition should be locked up and the keys put away. Always keep the safety on on the gun. Keeping the safety on will prevent a child from unintentional harm if a gun is found. Guns are very dangerous and safety is very important. Never assume your child or other children will know the difference in real and toy guns.
Be cautions if a gun is in the home, our children’s lives depend on it. The last reason why gun accidents are occurring with children is because of the gun laws. Laws should be stricter. Firearms should be very difficult to obtain. Gun laws should include a training course for anyone who owns a gun. No one should own a gun that does not understand how it works. An average, five hundred children die every year due to gun accidents. In a survey by Josephson Institute of Ethics, “36% of teenagers aged twelve to nineteen say they could obtain a handgun if they wanted to. Children get these handguns from people selling them on the street. Not every person should be allowed to own a gun. Laws are not strict enough, making purchasing guns an easy task. Parents feel the need to have protection because of the accessibility of guns. If guns were harder to obtain, parents would not have to worry so much. Keeping guns out of the hands of “bad people” can keep them out of the hands of our children. In conclusion, gun accidents occur with children and are increasing.
Monitoring television programs and video games more closely, educating parents and children on gun dangers, locking guns up, and making gun laws stricter could prevent tragedies from happening. These are simple steps that make a huge difference. Do not risk the safety of children. Take precautions on preventing accidents. A change has to be made. Works Cited Anderson, George M. “America. ” 172. 8(2010): p. 26-28. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. U. S. National Library of Health. Medline Plus. 18 April 2012. Web. 06 Nov, 2012. Source: Nemours Foundation. KidsHealth, Gun Safety. 2012. Web.
