Study finds firearms are stored less safely in homes with older children
From EurekAlert! - Breaking News:
More than 1.6 million U.S. children live in homes with firearms that are stored loaded and unlocked.
Because the guns used in youth suicides and unintentional injuries primarily come from victims' homes, storage practices that allow for easy access to a firearm pose a threat to the safety of young people.
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) surveyed parents about household firearm storage practices and found that those with adolescents are more likely to store guns loaded and/or unlocked than those with younger children.
The study suggests that parents of older children may be less vigilant about keeping firearms stored securely, possibly because they believe teenagers will act responsibly around firearms.
"Unfortunately, parents of older kids are not basing their decisions about storage on the true risks imposed by firearms: Teenagers are exponentially more likely than younger children to die from firearm injury, especially suicide," said Johnson.
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