Children and gun safety: What to know and do

Pay My Bill »
CART
FREE HEALTHBEAT SIGNUP
SHOP ▼
SIGN IN

Search
HEART HEALTH Inside Heart Health:
Blood Pressure
Cholesterol
Coronary Artery Disease
Heart Attack
Heart Failure
Heart Medications
Stroke
Featured Content:
Brushing up on heart health »
E-cigarettes: Hazardous or helpful? »
Fatty liver disease: An often-silent condition linked to heart
disease »
Salt sensitivity: Sorting out the science »
Smartphone apps for managing heart disease »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
4 ways to eat your way to lower cholesterolMany people can lower
cholesterol levels simply by changing what they eat.
How much cardio should you do? The Physical Activity Guidelines issued
by the U.
7 ways to reduce stress and keep blood pressure downWhen it comes to
preventing and treating high blood pressure, one often-overlooked strategy is
managing stress. Get the latest news on health and wellness delivered to your
inbox! MIND & MOOD Inside Mind & Mood:
Addiction
Adult & Child ADHD
Alzheimer's & Dementia
Anxiety
Depression
Improving Memory
Mental Health
Positive Psychology
Stress
Featured Content:
Get the facts about memory loss »
Long-lasting grief when close friends pass »
Want to prevent dementia? Improve your everyday health habits »
What to do when reading gets harder »
Rehiring your business mind »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
A sharper mind: tai chi can improve cognitive function There are lots
of jokes about forgetting where you put your keys, but as you get older, changes in
your mental function are no laughing matter.
Ways to support someone who is in griefIt can be hard to know how to
console a friend or relative who is grieving.
Six steps to cognitive health So how do you keep your brain healthy,
stay cognitively fit, and build your cognitive reserve? Get the latest news on
health and wellness delivered to your inbox! PAIN Inside Pain:
Arthritis
 Back Pain
Headache
Joint Replacement
Other Pain
Featured Content:
Chest pain that's not a heart attack »
Is exercise good for arthritis? »
Is fibromyalgia hereditary? »
Oh, my aching knees »
What could cause my sudden jaw pain? »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
5 exercises to improve hand mobilityIf you find daily tasks difficult
to do because you suffer from stiffness, swelling, or pain in your hands, the right
exercises can help get you back in motion.
Taming carpal tunnel syndromeInside your wrist, a slick tunnel passes
through the carpal bones.
3 tips to prevent neck painWithout knowing it, you may be encouraging
neck pain by the way you perform everyday activities. Get the latest news on health
and wellness delivered to your inbox! STAYING HEALTHY Inside Staying Healthy:
Aging
Balance & Mobility
Diet & Weight Loss
Energy & Fatigue
Exercise & Fitness
Healthy Eating
Physical Activity
Screening Tests for Men
Screening Tests for Women
Sleep
Featured Content:
5 medications that can cause problems in older age »
CBD products are everywhere. But do they work? »
Counting on calories »
Maximizing home food delivery »
The state of gas »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
The active ingredients of tai chiWhen Peter M.
The physical benefits of yogaYoga promotes physical health in multiple
different ways.
Motivational tips to work your coreA core workout is an essential
part of a fitness routine, but sticking with any exercise program isn't always
easy. Get the latest news on health and wellness delivered to your inbox! CANCER
Inside Cancer:
Breast Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Other Cancers
Prostate Health & Disease
Skin Cancer
Featured Content:
Do all skin cancers have to be removed? »
Can you eat away at your cancer risk? »
A cancer researcher reflects on the evolution of lung cancer
therapies »
What is immunotherapy? »
Specialized diet gets high marks for preventing cancer »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
4 tips for coping with an enlarged prostateWhen a man reaches about age
25, his prostate begins to grow.
Can diet help fight prostate cancer?Can adopting a healthier diet help
fight prostate cancer?
Most melanomas start as new spotsMost melanomas come in the form of a
new spot on the skin, not changes to an existing mole. Get the latest news on
health and wellness delivered to your inbox! DISEASES & CONDITIONS Inside Diseases
& Conditions:
Adult & Child ADHD
Alzheimer's & Dementia
Diabetes
Digestive Health
Heart Disease
More Diseases & Conditions
Osteoporosis
Stroke
Thyroid Diseases
Featured Content:
Are sunstroke and heatstroke the same? »
Be alert to an increasingly common threat - tick-borne illnesses »
Fatty liver disease: An often-silent condition linked to heart
disease »
Is fibromyalgia hereditary? »
Poor sense of smell may predict risk of death in older adults »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
5 ways to dodge incontinenceMost people take bladder control for
granted — until the unintended loss of urine interrupts the ability to carry on an
ordinary social and work life.
Simple tips to fight inflammationThe awareness of the intersection
between inflammation and chronic disease has spawned a plethora of diet plans,
nutritional supplements, and lifestyle programs, many implying they offer new ways
to improve your health by quelling inflammation.
Alcohol and age: A risky combinationMost people drink less as they grow
older. Get the latest news on health and wellness delivered to your inbox! MEN'S
HEALTH Inside Men's Health:
Birth Control
Erectile Dysfunction
Exercise & Fitness
Healthy Eating
Men's Sexual Health
Prostate Cancer
Prostate Health & Disease
Screening Tests for Men
Featured Content:
Big jump in active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer »
Can blood pressure medications interfere with my sex drive? »
The growing problem of an enlarged prostate gland »
What could cause my breasts to become larger? »
What exercises are best for bone health? »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
Tips for talking to your doctor about EDIf you've been having
difficulty getting or sustaining erections, talk about it with your doctor.
5 natural ways to overcome erectile dysfunctionCan you run as fast as
you did when you were 20 years old?
In search of better ways to find and treat prostate cancerBiomarkers
are molecular signatures of both normal and abnormal processes in the body. Get the
latest news on health and wellness delivered to your inbox! WOMEN'S HEALTH Inside
Women's Health:
Birth Control
Breast Health & Disease
Exercise & Fitness
Healthy Eating
 Menopause
Osteoporosis
Pregnancy
Screening Tests for Women
Women's Sexual Health
Featured Content:
Winning the weight battle after menopause »
Does your vagina really need a probiotic? »
FDA takes some surgical mesh products off the market »
How can I prevent recurrent UTIs? »
What is a submucosal uterine fibroid? »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
Hypothyroidism symptoms and signs in an older personSome people over
age 60 have few, if any, classic hypothyroidism symptoms, while others experience
the same symptoms younger people do.
What's your t-score? Bone density scans for osteoporosisSeveral
technologies can assess bone density, but the most common is known as dual energy
x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).
5 ways to boost bone strength earlyThe best prevention for bone-
thinning osteoporosis begins early — during the first two decades of life, when you
can most influence your peak bone mass by getting enough calcium and vitamin D and
doing bone-strengthening exercise. Get the latest news on health and wellness
delivered to your inbox! LICENSING
Home » Harvard Health Blog » Children and gun safety: What to know and do - Harvard
Health Blog
Children and gun safety: What to know and do
POSTED JULY 19, 2019, 6:30 AM

Claire McCarthy, MD
Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing

Stories about shootings are becoming far too common. The news is full of stories of
shootings at schools, workplaces, and other public places. While stories of mass
shootings get the headlines, guns kill people every day. According to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), guns killed almost 40,000 people in 2017,
the highest amount in the nearly 50 years since the CDC started their electronic
database.
Here are some other important facts:
• Firearm injury is the cause of death in 74% of all homicides and 87% of
all youth homicides.
• Every day, 78 children, teens, and young adults are injured or killed
by guns in the US.
• The risk of death by suicide is four to 10 times higher in homes with
guns. Firearms are used in 50% of all suicides, and 42% of youth suicides.
• One in three homes with children in the US has a gun.
• Children as young as 3 years old may be strong enough to pull the
trigger on a handgun.
• Three out of four children (including children less than 10 years old)
living in a house with a gun know where the gun is, even when their parents think
they don’t.
• While many people feel that having a gun keeps them safer, the research
suggests that the opposite is true.
Three ways to keep everyone safer
Gun ownership is a polarizing issue here in the US. But whatever anyone thinks
about gun ownership, all can agree that we need to work to keep people safe —
particularly our children. Here are three things all parents can do:
• If you own a gun, lock it up, unloaded. Keep ammunition locked up
separately.
• Ask if there is an unlocked gun where your child plays. This simple
question can save your child’s life. If the answer is yes, ask if it can be locked
up (unloaded, with the ammunition locked separately). If the gun isn’t stored
safely, your child shouldn’t play there.
• If your child has a history of depression or other mental health
problems, don’t keep a gun at home. Locking it up may not be enough to keep your
child safe.
Somehow, we need to come together to put in place some common sense laws to keep
people safe. As a country, we have a very high rate of gun deaths compared to other
developed countries. That’s something that should alarm us. Background checks and
waiting periods make good sense, as do measures that work to make guns less
available to people with mental health problems.
Our children rely on us to keep them safe — including from gun injury.
Follow me on Twitter @drClaire
Related Information: Harvard Health Letter

20

Print
Related Posts:
Asking saves lives: A simple question can keep…
What parents should know — and do — about young…
Where do the candidates stand on the health and…
New expert recommendations on children and media use
Understanding suicide in children and early…

COMMENTS
0
TOPICS
Adolescent health | Children's Health | Health | Parenting
Commenting has been closed for this post.

Sign Up Now For

HEALTHbeat
Our FREE E-Newsletter
Get weekly health information and advice from the experts at Harvard Medical
School.

Recent Posts
Children and gun safety: What to know and do Jul 19, 2019
Kidney stones: What are your treatment options? Jul 18, 2019
A new therapy for osteoporosis: Romosozumab Jul 17, 2019
The fourth trimester: What you should know Jul 16, 2019
Dermal fillers: The good, the bad and the dangerous Jul 15, 2019
Most Commented
Harvard to USDA: Check out the Healthy Eating Plate 313 Comments
Treating prostatitis: Any cause for optimism? 272 Comments
Going gluten-free just because? Here's what you need to know 257
Comments
How to handle a relapse after treatment for prostate cancer 242
Comments
A Harvard expert shares his thoughts on testosterone-replacement
therapy 210 Comments
Archive
2019
2018
2017
2016
 2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
Our Experts
Howard LeWine, M.D.Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
Nancy FerrariManaging Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
Heidi GodmanExecutive Editor, Harvard Health Letter
Kelly BilodeauExecutive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
Matthew SolanExecutive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
Julie CorlissExecutive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
View all of our experts »
Harvard Health Bestsellers
1 Understanding Inflammation
2 Better Balance: Simple exercises to improve stability and prevent falls
3 Stretching: 35 exercises to improve flexibility and reduce pain
4 Skin Care and Repair
5 Improving Sleep: A guide to a good night's rest
Follow Harvard Health Publishing
Become a Fan on Facebook »
Follow us on Twitter »
Subscribe to our RSS Feed »
Disclaimer:
The contents displayed within this public group(s), such as text, graphics, and
other material ("Content") are intended for educational purposes only. The Content
is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or
treatment. . . .
View More
Topics
Addiction
Adolescent health
Alcohol
Bones and joints
Concussions
Cooking and recipes
Cosmetic surgery
Environmental health
Fatigue
Fertility
Folk remedies
Food as medicine
Health
Addiction
Allergies
Alzheimer's Disease
Anxiety and Depression
Arthritis
Asthma
Autoimmune diseases
Back Pain
Behavioral Health
Brain and cognitive health
Breast Cancer
Cancer
Caregiving
Children's Health
Cold and Flu
Complementary and alternative medicine
Dental Health
Diabetes
Diet and Weight Loss
Digestive Disorders
Drugs and Supplements
Ear, nose, and throat
Emergency Planning
End of life
Exercise and Fitness
Eye Health
Family Planning and Pregnancy
First Aid
Foot Care
Genes
Headache
Health care
Health care disparities
Health policy
Healthy Aging
Healthy Eating
Hearing Loss
Heart Health
Hypertension and Stroke
Incontinence
Infectious diseases
Injuries
Kidney and urinary tract
Lung disease
Managing your health care
Medical Research
Memory
Men's Health
Menopause
Mental Health
Migraines
Mind body medicine
Neurological conditions
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Pain Management
Parenting
Pets
Pregnancy
Prevention
Prostate Health
Radiation
Relationships
Safety
Screening
Sex
Sexual Conditions
Skin and Hair Care
Sleep
Smoking cessation
Stress
Surgery
Tests and procedures
 Thyroid Disorders
Travel health
Vaccines
Women's Health
Workplace health
Yoga
Health trends
HIV
Immunotherapy
Infertility
Inflammation
Marijuana
Memory
Nutrition
Probiotics
Prostate Knowledge
BPH
Diagnosis
ED
Hematospermia
Incontinence
Living With Prostate Cancer
Patient Perspectives
Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia
Prostatitis
Q & A
Risks and Prevention
Screening
Treatments
Vitamins and supplements

Sign up for HEALTHbeatDigital SubscriptionsSpecial Health ReportsPrint

SubscriptionsCustomer ServiceAbout UsPermissionsPrivacy Policy
FacebookTwitterRSS
© 2010 - 2019 Harvard University. All rights reserved.