CLEVELAND — The Kaiser Family Foundation did an analysis of federal data and found a disturbing trend. Not only are firearm deaths among children on the rise, 47% of youth suicides involve guns. That’s a 26% increase from prior years.
Cleveland Clinic Children’s emergency physician, Dr. Purva Grover, says the combination of kids and guns is a public health crisis.
“About four and a half million kids and teens currently live in the United States in houses that have loaded, unsafe practice guns available in the house so these things can happen anytime anywhere,” Dr. Grover said.
She says the numbers of shootings involving teens and younger kids is rising.
“How many more tragic accidents do we have to see to start talking about this very commonly, very openly and having really good nonjudgmental conversations,” Dr. Grover said.
Whatever your stance on guns, she says it’s important to discuss gun safety with your kids, even with little ones who can be dangerously curious.
“Start those conversations right at the dining table, ask them what happens when you go to someone's house who has a gun when kids are showing off their little toys cause they are kids,” she said.
It’s Halloween season, parties, sleepovers, and toy guns are common. But keep this in mind.
“Three out of four kids between the age of five to fourteen know where the gun is,” she said.
It’s a fair question to ask parents about their gun safety practices if you’re sending your child to their home, but she says it’s important to keep judgement and politics out of the conversation.
“It’s no different than my kid who has food allergies who goes to somebody's house, and they always make sure he has his EpiPen and all those things he needs to take care of himself, this is no different,” Dr. Grover said.
For parents who have guns, be a good example of safe gun practices and teach those rules to your kids. Never give them the keys or passcode to the safe or lock.
Learn more gun safety tips HERE.
Keep guns and ammo locked up separately or use a trigger gun lock.
Many police departments will give you a free safety kit through Project Child Safe. Search for your city HERE.
The risk is real and rising and in the context of the mental health crisis we’re facing with kids, it’s more important than ever to discuss these issues.
Related Stories: