WHAT DO CHILDREN DO WHEN THEY FIND A REAL GUN?

Background: Unintentional firearm injuries account for approximately 200 deaths and more than 3000 nonfatal injuries each year. Discovering a gun in the home while playing is the most common circumstance that places children at risk for unintentional firearm injuries. Many families keep a gun in the home, often stored loaded and unlocked. Parents often have unrealistic expectations of children's behavior around firearms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if children exhibited safe behavior upon discovering a concealed handgun in a presumably safe environment. Methods: Groups of 8 to 12 year old boys were recruited from families who presented to both a children's hospital in Atlanta, GA and ambulatory care centers. These families completed a survey on firearm ownership and storage practices and those with eligible children were asked to identify male peers or siblings in the same age group. Following informed parental consent, the boys were observed in a room and videotaped through a one-way mirror. Although not instructed to explore the room, the children were allowed to play and if needed, could exit the room for any reason. Water pistols and an actual .38 caliber handgun were concealed in separate drawers. When the trigger on the gun was depressed, room sensors caused a light to flash which was visible to observers behind the one-way mirror. The children were then asked a series of questions including whether they believed the gun to be real or a toy, as well as their general knowledge and safety about guns. Afterwards, they were given a further education about gun safety. Results: Twenty-three groups (50 total children) participated in this study. Thirteen of the families owned guns and 18 of the 50 children (36%) were from homes with firearms. Of the total, 17 groups (74%) discovered the handgun and 5 groups (29%) pulled the trigger. Of the 5 groups totaling 11 children, 8 children (73%) were from gun owning families. Three groups (18%) exited the room specifically to ask if the handgun was real. Sixteen of the 34 boys (47%) who found the gun thought it was a toy or were unsure if it was real. Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that a large percentage of these high-risk children played with and even discharged a gun that they encountered in a presumably safe environment. Concern also exists in the difficulty distinguishing a toy from a real gun. This study supports the American Academy of Pediatrics' position that all guns be stored locked