Teenagers and Gun Safety

by James Tarr • April 2, 2012 • 25 comments

Whenever people start talking about kids and gun safety, the emphasis usually is on little kids, toddlers and grade schoolers.

The NRA’s Eddie Eagle program is great at educating young children about firearms, what to do and not to do, and I watched the videos with my children repeatedly. I can still recite the slogan—Stop, Don’t Touch, Leave the Area, Tell an Adult. However, as the father of two boys, one of whom just turned fourteen this week, I realize that “teenagers and guns” is an entirely separate topic.

By the time your children get to be teenagers the basic rules of gun safety should have been drilled into them. Whether they can get to a loaded gun in your house or not, your teenagers should not just know the four basic rules of gun safety but also what to do if there is an intruder. As your children turn into young adults the “what to do in case of…” scenarios become increasingly important, because this is the age when you start leaving them at home. Alone. That’s just not something you have to worry about when your kids are five or six.

God forbid my boys ever have to shoot an intruder, but they have the skills to do it if they need to. I taught them both to drive as soon as they were big enough to reach the controls on the car, because it is a good emergency skill to have—just like shooting. If you own guns and have a teenage daughter and haven’t taught her how to shoot (at a minimum) you are doing her a serious disservice. Sexual assault is much more common than murder.

I completely trust my boys when it comes to the firearms I have in my home. What I have to consider now, however, is them having friends come over to the house to watch TV, do homework, play video games, etc., when I’m not there. Teenagers get into things without even trying, especially when the adults are away, and if you’ve got unsecured guns in the house (loaded or not), maybe it’s not your kids you need to be worrying about.

Your children may only hang around with honor-roll students, but if Bobby mentions to Billy who mentions to Darryl that so-and-so’s dad has a couple guns in the house, pretty soon teenagers who have never met you know about your Glock in the bedside table. High school is the time when the Future Felons of America start learning their job skills. Your kids know you have guns, but maybe they shouldn’t be letting that information be public knowledge. I’m not ashamed of being a gun owner, but I don’t let my children broadcast that information, simply because I don’t want to have to deal with aspiring teenage B&E artists.

I’m not sure there is any one right way to handle this, but if you never think about the possibilities, any surprises you get are sure to be unpleasant.

In Carry On, Tactics & Training • Tagged Eddie Eagle, gun safety, teenagers

Tom W

That is nearly identicle to how I was taught gun safety while growing up but now seeing it in print I realized the education I gave my children was not as complete. My grand children will receive the entire package. Great article and thanks.
Amanda

I think it depends on the teenager. I was around guns at about 16, had my own handguns at 17, I knew more about guns than my dad did. Could I have had and been around them earlier? eh, probably not. You teach your kids things about life but you don't know if it sinks in until you watch them live it.
John

I learn gun safety and handling from Boy Scouts; I learn about firearms laws from the back of a squad car.
http://www.facebook.com/celtics.fan.nguyen Deliriously Astute Nguyen

gun safety is a necessity for every family with children. it's better that u teach them about it than they learn the hard way
TW3

The relative congestion, even in rural settings, but more so in suburban neighborhoods, make it more difficult to instruct your children in firearms safety and use situations. My children, and grandchildren are fully aware that there are guns in the house, and have free access to all of my subscription magazines. I have made all of them NRA Members, so they are receiving information tailored for their level of learning- and they are taken to the range as often as possible. The difficulties I have had to deal with are the transition from toy cap guns to real ones, and the maintenance required to keep a gun free of rust provoking fingerprints! I gave my Daughter in Law my 10/22 to keep a fox from our chickens, and found it returned to me with serious rust on the barrel and charging handle. Her father did not cover that aspect for her, so she had not learned the work aspect of shooting.!
Figaro

Good article. I followed the same course of action, almost to the letter. If you can't educate, train and trust your children you should get rid of your guns or lock them up so the rest of us don't get a bad name. Started mine with BB guns in the backyard and had them progress up to the heavy stuff as they acquired the skill. They also have to clean whatever they shoot!
Bud Beeler

The first thing i noticed about this photograph is that the kid isn't wearing ear or eye protection. That's a cardinal sin! Even if it's just an airgun he should at least have eyes on.
So, before we even get into safe gun handling, let's assure that his eyes and ears are protected.
- MVines
  
  This picture is of a teen defending his home against a intruder, safety is number one but sometimes you cant call time out and put everything on. I agree its not the best picture they could have used for this article.
- https://www.facebook.com/sherra.scott Sherra Scott
  
  The case could also be made that the teen is using the weapon in an emergency situation. "Hold on a minute Mr. Bad Guy, while I run and go put on my safety gear before I shoot you while you're attacking my sister."
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000684956408 Robert Veinot

I read an article some months back in a gun magazine where the author was taken to task for the same reason as bud Beeler points out. In that case the author said the shooter wasn't on a range but was posing with an unloaded firearm. As I recall the author agreed the person should have been posed with hearing and eye protection.
It looks like this picture was taken at the author's place of residence making it look like the boy is shooting in a residential area in the back yard, also a no no. A quick trip to the shooting range to take a picture for the article would have worked better. Maybe he is trying to show what an irresponsible teenager might do if he comes upon a firearm at a house with no adults present.
You be the judge. Unless the author wants to weigh in…
Joel Jaworowski

I am so glad that I never married or had any kids. I wouldn't know what to do as far as educate a teen about gun safety. I know about gun safety but how to teach a kid is another thing all together. Kids have friends and they would say "hey, let's see your dad's gun". Right there is the start of disaster. No, I wouldn't know how to prevent anything like that. Good luck to all you dads out there! Idon't envy you at all.
steve lamanen

Nice article Jim…
Matt

if it were an airgun the tip of the pistol would be orange.. first thing *I* noticed was his finger on the trigger
Kristen

I have a 17 year old step-son who gets a little TOO excited around our gun safe sometimes. When I recently acquired my AR the first thing he wanted to do was take a picture to post on his Facebook. His father and I used that as an opportunity to talk to all of our kids about appropriate disclosure and a recap of basic safety (guns are not toys, treat every gun as if it is loaded at all times etc. etc.) Pictures of them shooting in a group are one thing, broadcasting what's kept in our home is completely different.
Great article, thank you!
Jeepers Creepers

Gun safety starts at home. It sould be taught has soon has possible. Not when they are past the age of 13. I fired my first handgun at the age of 5 (22) and my first rifle at 7 (30-06) and it knocked me on my rear. The is the main problem. Gun safety is not given to the kids until they are all grown up. And trying to teach a teen aged kid is a major under taking. I started hunting big game at age 12 it was the legal age back then. I think it is 14 now. People need to get their kids into 4H at an early age.
Alan_T

Kristan is 100 % right , you never know who is going to see your FaceBook page . Don't give a criminal an illustrated shopping catalog . That's also why my address and phone number aren't listed .
Gary Lee

As a person who used to be an assistant coach for the San Francisco P.A.L. I applaud all parents and grandparents who are willing to teach their kids and grandkids how to operate and fire any firearms. They are the next generation and they need to be able to use it either for target practice,hunting or self defense it is their right to do so and it is up to us to teach them all they need to know…especially the safety aspects to them. Keep up the good work!
- Alan_T
  
  And …. Thank you Gary Lee for your past service .
Snug

I was the youngest and with older brothers who hunted and trapped I learned gun safety from the time I could crawl. I fired my first firearm when I was four.My brothers and I have cumulative hunting experience of over 150 years with no accidents with firearms. My father never called it safety training ,he set rules with consequense that was iron clad. Thanks Pop.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1522240447 Hallie Joyner

I don't agree with having unsecured firearms in the home. I carry unless I am asleep or in the shower – in which case my sidearm is locked in a safe. However, sometimes when I travel I use a hard case with a luggage lock. Which brings me to this warning for parents: a three-digit combo lock (000-999) takes less than 20 minutes to open, simply by turning the wheels sequentially.
Teens aren't stupid – they just do incredibly stupid things. (Remember???)
Tony Gunz

I have 2 daughters 5 & 3. They have grown up seeing a gun on dads hip. They ask questions and want 2 touch as all kids behave. Instead of me trying to keep them in the dark, hiding them, and not talking to them about it. I use a different approach. They know not to touch w/o daddy even rounds. If they want to see or touch I make sure it safe and allow it using that time to teach not just safety but the mechanics of how they work and last but not least the consequences. Repetition also is important I believe taking the mystery away from my firearms is the best way to avoid a curious accident.
Ralph De La Huerta`

My daughters both know how to shoot and shoot well. But before they shot, they learned about guns and the hazards of not handling them properly.
I have a safe full of them and shoot them frequently. Just to keep my mind active and up to date.
bjornt67

When I was in the sixth grade in Colorado, they taught us gun and hunter safety and archery in public school. I wish schools everywhere would do this as all kids should know how to be safe while handling a firearm. Plus it helped me be a safer hunter at a younger age.
Kevin k queens NY

When I was 10 years old my father started me off with a single shot 22 rifle.I was always wondering and asking my father about the rifles, so instead of him saying no don't touch.he simply sat me down showed me how the guns worked and extreme gun safety.when I turned I got my first 22 rifle,which I only used upstate with my father on my side.now I'm 34 living in queens with noting but hand guns and I still go by extreme gun safety.guess you have to learn at a young age.
G-Man

My six month old can fit a silver dollar from a 1/4 mile away.