Firearms and Children

FIREARM OWNER RESPONSIBILITY

It is a firearm owner’s responsibility to take all possible steps to make sure a child cannot gain access to firearms. In fact, this responsibility is mandated by California law. The overall abiding rule is to store your gun in a safe and responsible manner at all times. As a firearm owner, you should be aware of the laws regarding children and firearms.

Summary of Safe Storage Laws Regarding Children

You may be guilty of a misdemeanor or a felony if you keep a loaded firearm within any premises that are under your custody or control and a child under 18 years of age obtains and uses it, resulting in injury or death, or carries it to a public place, unless you stored the firearm in a locked container or locked the firearm with a locking device to temporarily keep it from functioning. Please refer to Page 42 for more specific information regarding safe storage laws related to children.

You Cannot Be Too Careful with Children and Guns

There is no such thing as being too careful with children and guns. Never assume that simply because a toddler may lack finger strength, they can’t pull the trigger. A child’s thumb has twice the strength of the other fingers. When a toddler’s thumb “pushes” against a trigger, invariably the barrel of the gun is pointing directly at the child’s face. NEVER leave a firearm lying around the house. Please refer to Pages 31 and 32 for more information regarding safe storage and methods of childproofing your firearm.
Child safety precautions still apply even if you have no children or if your children have grown to adulthood and left home. A nephew, niece, neighbor’s child or a grandchild may come to visit. Practice gun safety at all times.

To prevent injury or death caused by improper storage of guns in a home where children are likely to be present, you should store all guns unloaded, lock them with a firearms safety device and store them in a locked container. Ammunition should be stored in a location separate from the gun.

Talking to Children about Guns
Children are naturally curious about things they don’t know about or think are “forbidden.” When a child asks questions or begins to act out “gun play,” you may want to address his or her curiosity by answering the questions as honestly and openly as possible. This will remove the mystery and reduce the natural curiosity. Also, it is important to remember to talk to children in a manner they can relate to and understand. This is very important, especially when teaching children about the difference between “real” and “make-believe.” Let children know that, even though they may look the same, real guns are very different than toy guns. A real gun will hurt or kill someone who is shot.


Instill a Mind Set of Safety and Responsibility

The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that adolescence is a highly vulnerable stage in life for teenagers struggling to develop traits of identity, independence and autonomy. Children, of course, are both naturally curious and innocently unaware of many dangers around them. Thus, adolescents as well as children may not be sufficiently safeguarded by cautionary words, however frequent contrary actions can completely undermine good advice. A “do as I say and not as I do” approach to gun safety is both irresponsible and dangerous.

Remember that actions speak louder than words. Children learn most by observing the adults around them. By practicing safe conduct you will also be teaching safe conduct.