Study Shows What Happens When Children Find a Gun

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – The Grand Chute Fire Department encourages parents to talk to their children regularly about what they should do if they find a gun, even if you don’t have a gun in the home.

The fire department has alerted us to a new study about guns in homes.

There was a playroom with toys and games. A disabled pistol was hidden in the room.

Of the 226 children aged 8 to 12 years, 96% found a gun.

Their next steps differed depending on whether they had watched a gun safety video or a car safety video at home in the past week.

Of the children who watched the gun safety video, 34% told an adult about the gun they found, compared to 11% of children who watched the car safety video.

Additionally, 39% of children who watched the gun safety video touched the weapon, which is much lower than the 67% of children who watched the car video.

Some kids pulled the trigger: 9% of kids who saw gun safety videos and 30% of kids who didn’t.

Children who…	Watched a video about gun safety.	Watched a video about car safety.
Told an adult	34%	11%
Touched the gun	39%	67%
Pulled the trigger	9%	30%

Of course, vehicle safety is also important, but to do this, authorities advise talking to your child about gun safety.

Discuss the use of guns on television in films so they understand the difference between this and real life.
If you own a firearm, make sure it is stored in a safe and secure location.