The simple and harrowing fact is that gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children. Thirteen kids a day are killed by guns. The longstanding debate has concerned gun ownership, but data suggests that gun ownership is not the real culprit, it’s gun access. It’s time to rethink this debate, and at least one major healthcare provider agrees.
“America is the shining light amongst civilized societies,” says Michael Dowling, President & CEO, Northwell Health. “If we want to maintain that standard, we need to curtail the damage done by guns and gun violence. We don't need to undermine the Second Amendment to protect the public.”
Using an innovative approach that views gun violence as a public health crisis, Northwell Health is changing the conversation surrounding who’s most affected by gun violence, and proposing a commonsense measure both healthcare workers and community members can collaborate on to reduce gun violence now: ask adults about how they store their guns.
Keeping your guns safely stored may not sound like a revolutionary idea, but a misconception about who is most affected by gun violence has obscured the value of talking about guns and why breaking the taboo surrounding this crucial issue could lead to a sizable prevention in childhood gun violence. For example, as horrifying as mass shootings are, they only account for a small fraction – 1.2% – of gun deaths. Far more are caused by improper access to guns that leads to either accidental shootings or suicide. For context, suicide accounts for 54% of all gun deaths, with a staggering 22,000 in 2020 alone.
GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION
Parents Are OK with Asking About Gun Safety, So Why Aren’t We Doing It?
"America is the shining light amongst civilized societies. If we want to maintain that standard, we need to curtail the damage done by guns and gun violence."
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A closer examination of gun storage yields some further disturbing yet telling facts. Research shows that just 30% of adults who live with children safely store their guns, which means of the 4.6 million children who live with guns in the home, over 3 million are living in homes where guns remain unlocked. At the same time, locking up guns and ammunition reduces the risk of self-inflicted and unintentional injury to children by 85%. So why aren’t we better at storing our guns?
Northwell believes having a conversation about gun storage with gun owners will make a huge difference. Under Northwell’s “Doesn’t Kill to Ask” initiative, primary care physicians are encouraged to speak with parents about gun storage during their children’s pediatric visits in an effort to make gun access a part of everyday conversation. But the conversation about gun storage shouldn’t begin and end in the doctor’s office; a sea change is needed in US communities to start talking about guns in the home openly.
Getting over the social taboo of talking about guns sounds uncomfortable, but it’s entirely possible when approached from the right framework. First, withhold judgment. Regardless of how you feel personally about guns, remember that this conversation is about keeping children safe. When approached matter-of-factly or with a bit of disarming charm, you can let another parent realize you’re not commenting on ownership; rather, you’re concerned about access.
Here's some suggested language, crafted by Northwell Health experts:
If the family says they do have a gun, then follow up by asking if it’s locked up. These conversations are not meant to be confrontational – it’s about you feeling safe and confident that your child is going to be safe. If families don’t want to continue having the conversation or it’s getting difficult to continue the conversation, you can note that you have safety concerns and prefer not to have the playdate in the home – you can offer to have the play date at your house or at a public space. Even if the family doesn’t want to talk about it, asking the question at least has that family start thinking about it.
“Doesn’t Kill to Ask” aims to be more than a message; it’s a movement, and one that hopes to galvanize parents, community leaders, and healthcare partners to unite under one practical idea: when guns are safely stored, kids live. Northwell, along with other stakeholders, is partnering with Parents United Against Unlocked Guns, a new non-profit, to raise awareness. Together, we can reduce the harm improperly stored guns pose to our children, regardless
of our political affiliation.
More than a thousand hospitals, health systems and associations across the US have signed on to share the awareness campaign in their markets because we believe that together the right messaging can help keep our children safe from firearms.
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How to Ask About Guns
3. Mention a friend. “Hey, the other day Jenny’s friend’s mom asked if we had any unlocked guns in the house. We don’t, but thought it was a really smart question to ask. How about you – are there any unlocked guns in your house?”
Regardless of what you choose to say, or how you say it, the takeaway is the same: it doesn’t kill to ask others if they have unlocked guns in the house, but staying silent can have grave unintended consequences.
Regardless of what you choose to say, or how you say it, the takeaway is the same: it doesn’t kill to ask others if they have unlocked guns in the house, but staying silent can have grave unintended consequences.
2. Say it’s on your list of safety questions when dropping your kids off to play. “Hi, I just have a few safety questions: Do you have any pets? Is there a pool? What are your screen time rules? Are there any unlocked guns in the house?”
1. Say your doctor asked you to ask. “Our pediatrician recently told us guns are the leading cause of death for children and suggested we ask our friends if there are unlocked guns in the house.”
"At the same time, locking up guns and ammunition reduces the risk of self-inflicted and unintentional injury to children by 85%."
The simple and harrowing fact is that gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children. Thirteen kids a day are killed by guns. The longstanding debate has concerned gun ownership, but data suggests that gun ownership is not the real culprit, it’s gun access. It’s time to rethink this debate, and at least one major healthcare provider agrees.
“America is the shining light amongst civilized societies,” says Michael Dowling, President & CEO, Northwell Health. “If we want to maintain that standard, we need to curtail the damage done by guns and gun violence. We don't need to undermine the Second Amendment to protect the public.”
Using an innovative approach that views gun violence as a public health crisis, Northwell Health is changing the conversation surrounding who’s most affected by gun violence, and proposing a commonsense measure both healthcare workers and community members can collaborate on to reduce gun violence now: ask adults about how they store their guns.
Keeping your guns safely stored may not sound like a revolutionary idea, but a misconception about who is most affected by gun violence has obscured the value of talking about guns and why breaking the taboo surrounding this crucial issue could lead to a sizable prevention in childhood gun violence. For example, as horrifying as mass shootings are, they only account for a small fraction – 1.2% – of gun deaths. Far more are caused by improper access to guns that leads to either accidental shootings or suicide. For context, suicide accounts for 54% of all gun deaths, with a staggering 22,000 in 2020 alone.
Here again, Northwell research suggests most of us are ready for this kind of conversation but have been hesitant to broach the subject. Consider: only one-third of parents have ever asked about an unlocked gun in another family’s home, but 90% of parents would want to know if there was an unlocked gun where their kids visit. Encouragingly, 97% of parents surveyed would be happy to answer the question about gun storage from another parent.
This makes sense. Most parents wouldn’t hesitate to talk to other parents about general safety concerns regarding their children. Taking the awkwardness out of the gun conversation is as simple as acknowledging it’s always OK to ask about safety issues concerning children.
A closer examination of gun storage yields some further disturbing yet telling facts. Research shows that just 30% of adults who live with children safely store their guns, which means of the 4.6 million children who live with guns in the home, over 3 million are living in homes where guns remain unlocked. At the same time, locking up guns and ammunition reduces the risk of self-inflicted and unintentional injury to children by 85%. So why aren’t we better at storing our guns?
Northwell believes having a conversation about gun storage with gun owners will make a huge difference. Under Northwell’s “Doesn’t Kill to Ask” initiative, primary care physicians are encouraged to speak with parents about gun storage during their children’s pediatric visits in an effort to make gun access a part of everyday conversation. But the conversation about gun storage shouldn’t begin and end in the doctor’s office; a sea change is needed in US communities to start talking about guns in the home openly.