Common Sense about Kids and Guns provides a national clearinghouse of information to educate the public about the risks of unsupervised access to guns by children and teens.

Explore our Web Resources database by choosing a Type or Category above. These links can also be accessed in the left margin on all Web Resources pages.

The extensive database of Web Resources contained here is meant to teach and inspire Americans to take personal and community responsibility for keeping children safe from guns.

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Is there a gun in the house?
This article is written by parents that have had a personal experience with an unsecured gun that ended in tragedy. It includes statistics about guns in the home, other families' tragedies, and ways to discuss gun storage with parents of your child's friends.

Pediatrics (Journal of AAP) 111:e109-e114, 2/1/2003
Most Parents Think Child Wouldn't Play with Gun
This study, "'They’re Too Smart for That': Predicting What Children Would Do in the Presence of Guns," finds that the vast majority of parents think their child would not pick up a gun if they found one, even though many parents have not specifically told their child what to do if they find a gun. The survey of Ohio parents also found that only 12% of gun owners with kids keep their guns locked and unloaded.
Authors: Connor (Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital) and Wesolowski (Case Western Reserve University).

Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 160: 542-547, 5/30/2006
Parental Misperceptions About Children and Firearms
This study found that many parents who were living in homes with firearms and who reported that their children had never handled firearms in their homes were contradicted by their children's self-reports. Furthermore, the study also found that those parents who locked their guns and discussed gun safety with their children were as likely to be contradicted as parents who did not take such safety measures.
Authors: Baxley (San Francisco General Hospital) and Miller (Harvard School of Public Health).

Pediatrics, 9/5/2005
Survey finds 1.7 million children live in home with unlocked, loaded guns
This survey examined the prevalence of household firearms and firearm-storage practices to estimate the number of children exposed to unsafe storage practices. Among its findings were that 1.7 million of today's youth, ages 18 and under, are living in households with unlocked, loaded firearms.
Authors: Catherine A. Okoro, David E. Nelson, James A. Mercy, Lina S. Balluz, Alex E. Crosby, and Ali H. Mokdad

JAMA, 2/9/2005
Gun Storage Practices and the Risk of Youth Suicide and Unintentional Injuries
This study found that the risk of youth suicide is increased with the presence of a firearm in the house. The risk of unintentional firearm injuries is also significantly increased when a gun is accessible in the home. In order to prevent these injuries, it is recommended that certain safety precautions be taken. This study shows how these precautions decrease the risk of injury and death.

Annals of Emergency Medicine (Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians) 41:771-783, 6/2/2003
Guns in Home Endanger Household Members, Study Says
This study, "Homicide and Suicide Risks Associated With Firearms in the Home: A National Case-Control Study," found that people in households with guns are almost twice as likely to be victims of gun homicide than people in households without guns. Furthermore, people were 16 times more likely to commit suicide with a gun if one is present in the home.
Author: Wiebe (UCLA School of Public Health Violence Prevention Research Group and Firearm Injury Center at Penn).

Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics 24:352-358, 10/1/2003
Study Shows Guns May Hold Unique Allure for Young Boys
This study, entitled "Effects of Gun Admonitions on the Behaviors and Attitudes of School-Aged Boys," showed the discrepancy between what boys say and what boys do when it comes to firearms. While many boys say they are not interested in playing with guns, many will still touch a gun if left alone with one. Read Press Release.
Author: Hardy (Eckerd College).

Pediatrics (Journal of AAP) 106:e31, 10/1/2000
Study Shows that Moms Are Unaware of Guns in House and How They Are Stored
Researchers report that among American households with children, fathers are much more likely to own a gun than mothers--and that mothers are unaware if their husbands' guns are safely stored unloaded and locked. Among the households with guns, the investigators found that 60% of the adults surveyed said they themselves owned the a gun while 40% said that the gun did not personally belong to them--with over 85% of the non-gun owners being women. (Azrael, Miller, and Hemenway, Harvard School of Public Health.)

Common Sense about Kids and Guns
Talking with Your Kids about Guns
This webpage provides some tips on how to talk with your kids about guns and it's in accordance with their age group.