Guns are now the leading cause of death for American children and teens--exceeding car accidents, illness, poisoning, and drowning for the second consecutive year. On average, twenty-two children and teens are shot every day and 5.4 million children live in homes with unlocked guns. It's a heartbreaking statistic and the steady stream of news stories involving children and guns can feel overwhelming. While it's easy to feel helpless about the current situation, there are actions you can take to protect your children from gun injuries and death:

PRACTICE SAFE STORAGE--

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, safe storage practices, including keeping firearms stored unloaded, in a locked place, separate from ammunition, and/or secured with an extrinsic safety device, were shown to be protective for unintentional firearm shootings and suicide attempts among adolescents and children.

The four specific practices of keeping a gun locked, unloaded, and storing ammunition locked and in a separate location were each associated with a protective effect to reduce these types of injuries in homes with children and adolescents. 

The truth is that a home with an unlocked gun is twice as likely to experience a homicide, three times more likely to experience a suicide, and five times more likely to experience a fatality in a domestic violence situation. Safe storage saves lives.

PRIOR TO EVERY PLAY-DATE--

Ask the parents if there's a gun in the home. If the answer is yes, ask if the gun is securely locked up with the ammunition stored separately. Not only will you protect your child's life, but you will teach other parents to ask this question thereby protecting their children from gun injuries as well. Even if your child is going to a relative's house, it's important to ask about the presence of guns. Even if your child is in middle school, it's important to ask about the presence of guns. Teach your child to tell an adult immediately if they see a child with access to a gun. For guidance on how to ask these questions as well as additional resources, go to: https://www.hospitalsunited.com.

LEARN THE SIGNS OF DEPRESSION--

Signs of depression include mood swings, personality changes, sleeplessness or sleeping too much, feelings of isolation or worthlessness. If you suspect your child is depressed, you should seek the help of a professional and remove all dangerous substances and objects from the home to avoid self-harm.

PREVENTING SUICIDE--

Suicide is on the rise among young people and guns are the most lethal means of suicide. If a child or teen is depressed, it is critical to immediately remove all lethal means from the home, including but not limited to medications, firearms and other weapons, and poisons and then seek professional help from a licensed mental health provider. There are community resources available to help a child or teen who is depressed, such as 2-1-1 Broward (Dial 211), texting 988, as well as school counselors, to name a few. Suicidal thoughts are often short-term, born of crisis, and nine out of ten people who survive a suicide attempt will never try again. But, be aware that the decision to attempt suicide is often impulsive, made in less than an hour and as little as five minutes. This is why it's critical to remove the child or teen's access to all lethal means.

OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO TO KEEP YOUR CHILD SAFE FROM GUNS--

A gun is stolen every 90 seconds in the U.S. resulting in a quarter million stolen guns each year--enough guns to commit every violent firearm crime reported annually. Children and teens are not legally permitted to purchase firearms but are often able to take unsecured firearms from vehicles. Educating others about the dangers of unlocked guns can not only protect you and your family, but also your neighbors and friends. According to the F.B.I., eight out of ten school shooters used a gun from their home or the home of a relative.     

FREE CABLE GUN LOCKS CAN BE REQUESTED AT: gunsafety@lwvbroward.org. Email your request and a gun lock will be mailed to your home, free of charge.

This article is written by Barbara Markley, Esquire, gun safety advocate and Co-Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Committee of the League of Women Voters of Broward.   The Lock it Up! gun safety program has distributed 30,000 free gun locks in Broward County.

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. 

With gun deaths at an all-time high of 48,000 per year and 65% of those deaths being suicides, we all need to be more attuned, more educated about gun safety, and more proactive about preventing gun injury in children.