This article is intended to help parents make a decision, NOT to make a decision for them. I hope you will find this article interesting and educational. Check out the reference documents and I think you'll come away with a better understanding of how to answer this question. The material in this article is strictly the product of the author and is in no way represents the opinion of any other organization or person unless attributed directly to them. Philip Shiflett, NRA Training Counselor 12/18/2002 |
How Old Should My Children Be Before I Teach Them to Shoot a Gun?
How Do I Keep Them Safe from Guns?
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There are two extreme viewpoints on this issue. They go something like this... |
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Never allow your children to be exposed to guns or violence. Make sure their friends' parents don't own guns! This will keep them safe and they will grow up to be non-violent.
Take your child shooting as soon as they can toddle. Show them what a bullet does to a watermelon! This will put the fear of God into them and they will respect and love guns.
Both of these views are untrue and reflect a desire to promote an agenda, not to protect children.
You must evaluate your child's ability to deal with potentially lethal devices, especially powered machines, based on their physical ability and intellectual maturity.
You may not own guns but you may want your children to learn to operate a table saw or riding lawn mower. If your children shoot themselves, cut off their hands with a table saw, or upset the mower, the result could be that they would bleed to death before they get any help.
The best way to protect your children is:
Lock up your guns when they are too immature to recognize the hazards.
As soon as they are mature enough, you must educate them to understand the importance of respecting ALL machinery, regardless of its purpose or use.
Teach your children to get the aid of an experienced person whenever they want to use a piece of machinery they are not familiar with.
Teach them to read the manuals!!!
You should keep your car locked if you have a young child. My son ran himself over with our car on his first attempt at driving, unsupervised, about 5 years old. Fortunately he survived, none the worse, and now has developed a respect for cars. I no longer leave my keys where a child can get them. I've seen many young mothers let their kids play with their car keys. This might be a mistake if the child associates cars and play. Obviously, when you lock up your guns, you need to KEEP THE KEY WITH YOU, not where your child will find it.
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Fact : Gun accidents compose just over 2% of the total number of accidental deaths in the 0-14 age group. To provide some context for the number of children that die from guns, just consider that while 2,566 kids died from motor vehicle accidents, 1,003 accidentally drown, 661 accidentally suffocated to death, and 608 died from accidental burns, only 121 died in accidents involving guns. In fact, unintentional fallings among 0-14 year olds resulted in 120 deaths a year. Centers For Disease Control, 1997. |
The End of Innocence
The attainment of maturity will occur at different ages for different children. Some persons are mature and serious at an early age. Some people never grow up. Just because a person is 21 does not mean they should own a gun. Many 12 year olds are more than enough reasoned to use a gun.
Anne
Oakley, arguably the best shot that ever lived, was 15 years old when she made
enough money shooting game to pay off her family's mortgage.
In her autobiography she notes, "Oh, how my heart leaped with joy as I handed the money to mother and told her that I had saved enough to pay it off!"
It is believed Anne started shooting at about 10 years of age. Anne is a good example of how environmental pressure, poverty, if you will, may lead to a child being more mature than her years.
Private Phineas Nevins was killed in action, at age 17, in the fighting at Bunker hill. His fellow, Private Peter Cummins, 13, fought there and survived, along with Private Noah Worcester, 16.
The youngest age listed in the Continental Army was a fiffer at 10 years.
For an example of the weapons these young persons would have been required to own and keep ready see http://www.18cnewenglandlife.org/equipment_of_mass_militia.htm
Remember, agendas are a peculiar feature of humans. A gun or a lawn mower or a saw has no agenda and no sense of remorse when it destroys your baby.
You must learn how child development proceeds, that is, the age you should expect certain abilities. Then you must evaluate your child's INDIVIDUAL ability in using a variety of harmless machines and tools before you decide to let them learn to use any high energy tool.
Above all BE CONSISTENT!!! Don't teach kids that guns are 'special' or 'bad' or any different than other machinery. THEY ARE NOT!
It is the child that is special! The way the child learns to use the gun and their attitude towards it that will keep them safe.
It is estimated that at least 40% of homes in America contain guns. Half of these are unlocked with ammunition close by. You need to make sure your toddler's baby sitter doesn't leave her gun about. Check your sitter's home environment for ANY safety issue, such as firearms, poisonous chemicals improperly stored, electrical appliances and power tools accessible to kids.
More kids drown in pools and are poisoned than die from accidental gunfire. Be aware of ALL safety hazards your child will be exposed to.
You won't feel any better if your child dies in a pool instead of in front of a gun.
Further Study and Recommended Reading
In the recommended reading, I've included some items specific to firearms and others, just as important, that give a more overall view of child development and capabilities and children's role in our nation's history. I hope you find them as interesting as I did.
Use these sites as a start. Study until you feel you have reached a sound conclusion.
Some of these sites are blatantly anti-gun, others are not.
I included a variety so that your get all the viewpoints, not just mine.
Names, Ages and Descriptions of Hollis Militia Men at Bunker Hill
Young Children's Social Development: A Checklist. ERIC Digest
Philip B. Shiflett
12/18/2002
pbsinohio@suddenlink.net
