Child & Teen Gun Safety
Child & Teen Gun Safety
What is the problem?
Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens (ages 1 to 19) in the United States. Every year, 18,000 children and teens are shot and killed or wounded and approximately 3 million are exposed to gun violence.
Children and teens in the U.S. are impacted by gun violence in all its forms. Exposure to gun violence has an impact on the psychological and mental well-being of children and teens and affects their school performance, among other factors. When homes, neighborhoods, and schools are not safe from gun violence, entire generations of American children are affected.
What are the solutions?
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Secure Gun Storage
Gun owners can make their homes and communities safer by storing their guns securely. This means storing them locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition. Securing firearms protects children and adults by preventing unintentional shootings and gun suicides.
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Extreme Risk Laws
When a person is in crisis and considering harming themselves or others, family members and law enforcement are often the first people to see the warning signs. Extreme Risk laws, sometimes referred to as “Red Flag” laws, allow loved ones or law enforcement to intervene by petitioning a court for an order to temporarily prevent someone in crisis from accessing guns.
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Smart Guns and Gun Safety Features
A personalized—or “smart”—gun is a firearm that employs authorized-use technology, like the thumb scan or passcode available on many smartphones, to turn stolen guns and guns accessed by children into harmless pieces of steel. If widely implemented, it would be a game-changer for keeping guns out of the hands of children and criminals.
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Reconsider Active Shooter Drills
95% of American public schools drill students on lockdown procedures. Yet, there is almost no research affirming the value of these drills for preventing school shootings or protecting the school community when shootings do occur.
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Stop Arming Teachers
To prevent tragedies we must implement strong school safety solutions, but arming teachers is not one of them. School shootings are chaotic and in these moments of chaos, we cannot ask teachers to stop a shooter, potentially a former student.
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Threat Identification and Assessment Programs in Schools
The most important thing that schools can do to prevent active shooter incidents—and gun violence overall—is to intervene before a person commits an act of violence. Threat assessment and identification programs allow schools to intervene to address potential violent behavior.
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Background Checks on All Gun Sales
Background checks are the foundation of any comprehensive gun violence prevention strategy. Current federal law requires that background checks be conducted whenever a person attempts to buy a gun from a licensed gun dealer. This is to ensure that the buyer is not legally prohibited from having the gun.
Featured Resources
Preventable Tragedies: Findings from the #NotAnAccident Index
Every year, hundreds of children in the United States gain access to unsecured, loaded guns.
Not An Accident: Unintentional Shootings by Children
Every year, hundreds of children unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else after accessing unsecured guns. This is not an accident.
Unload, Lock, and Separate: Secure Gun Storage Practices to Reduce Violence
Secure gun storage practices should include unloading the ammunition, locking the gun, and storing it and ammunition in separate locations.
The Impact of Gun Violence on Children and Teens
Children's exposure to gun violence has far reaching effects: An estimated three million children witness a shooting each year.
All Resources
Child & Teen Gun Safety
All Resources
The Rise of Firearm Suicide Among Young Americans
Firearm suicide is having a devastating impact on American youth, particularly during COVID-19. But suicide can be prevented.
Report
Guide to Secure Gun Storage Devices
Secure gun storage can prevent theft and access by children, unauthorized users, and anyone who may pose a danger to themself or others.
Report
How Can We Prevent Gun Violence in American Schools?
School leaders and policymakers must support and implement strong gun safety laws and school-based interventions.
Fact Sheet
Funding Summer Youth Programming Prevents Gun Violence
As cities develop their spending plan for American Rescue Plan funds, they should prioritize and plan funding for summer youth engagement.
Fact SheetGun Violence and COVID-19 in 2020: A Year of Colliding Crises
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a pronounced impact on gun violence in the United States.
Report
A License to Kill: Shoot First Laws, also known as Stand Your Ground
Stand Your Ground laws distort the public perception of lawful self-defense and encourage people to shoot first and ask questions later.
Fact Sheet
Methodological Note: A More Complete Picture
Read the Report A More Complete Picture: The Contours of Gun Injury in the United States Report…
Methodological NoteA More Complete Picture: The Contours of Gun Injury in the United States
Nonfatal gunshot wounds account for an enormous portion of the gun violence epidemic in America.
Report
Gunfire on School Grounds
Since 2013, Everytown has tracked incidents of gunfire on school grounds to learn how often youth are affected by gun violence.
Data Tracker
Gun Violence in America
We have gathered the most comprehensive, publicly available data to illustrate the magnitude of everyday gun violence.
Report
Keeping Our Schools Safe: A Plan for Preventing Mass Shootings and Ending All Gun Violence in American Schools
The failure of our leaders to address the root causes of school gun violence is having lasting consequences for millions of children.
Report
Firearm Suicide in the United States
Firearm suicide is preventable, and addressing it is an essential element of any strategy to reduce gun violence in America.
Fact Sheet