Firearms are the leading cause of death in children in the United States. Firearm deaths are completely preventable and occur at a rate more than 5x higher than drownings.
Prevention is key… As with any health-related problem, prevention through education is a critical component. Firearms are present in 1/3 of households with children.
- The best way to keep children safe is to NOT have a gun in the home.
- If it is necessary to keep a gun in the home safe storage is critical. Guns should be kept unloaded and ammunition should be stored separately. Both should be locked and inaccessible.
- Parents can speak to caregivers in homes where young children are visiting about guns in the homes where they play.
- Talk to older kids about guns and safety.
In almost every documented case of active shooters, there were warning signs. In 4 out of 5 school shootings at least one other person had knowledge of attackers plan but failed to report it.
9 critical warning signs of violence:
- Suddenly withdrawing from friends, family and activities (including online or via social media)
- Bullying, especially if targeted towards differences in race, religion, gender or sexual orientation
- Excessive irritability, lack of patience, or becoming angry quickly
- Experiencing chronic loneliness or social isolation
- Expressing persistent thoughts of harming themselves or someone else
- Making direct threats toward a place, another person, or themselves
- Bragging about access to guns or weapons
- Recruiting accomplices or audiences for an attack
- Directly expressing a threat as a plan
Advocacy to protect children from gun-violence needs to occur a national level to have meaningful impact.
States with stronger gun laws have less gun violence overall. However, Chicago borders states outside of IL with fewer gun control laws.
Basic measure such as stopping assault weapon sales and advocating for high-capacity magazine limits, alongside ammunition regulation, and required background checks are all important. Increasing gun manufacturer liability is also critical.
Visit https://www.everytown.org/ to learn more about how you can work towards limiting gun violence.
