Experiment Shows Differences Between Children With Guns in the Home and Those Without

[Nuclear Unicorn]

Experiment Shows Differences Between Children With Guns in the Home and Those Without

An experiment held in Iowa by police officers and parents had some interesting findings.

Police put a fake gun which could not be fired in a room and then let eight children into the room. It took a child just 15 seconds to find the gun. With parents and law enforcement watching, the children were passing the fake weapon around, aiming it and attempting to shoot it.

While the result might not be surprising to most, the children who didn't touch the weapon were children whose families have guns inside the home and have explained the dangers and responsibilities of guns.

http://fox17.com/news/nation-world/experiment-shows-differences-between-children-with-guns-in-the-home-and-those-without

Video at the link (though it is cringe-inducing).

Children can and should be taught to respect firearms.

[rock]

1. This sounds more anecdotal to me than experimental

Meaning I'm unconvinced by the findings.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

3. I will admit 8 children is not a broad sampling but it should serve as a starting point for

further inquiry. Still, the children from gun owning families were 2 for 2.

It's the families that teach their children to fear sex that are the ones most surprised by teenage pregnancies. Fear is not a teacher, respect is. You can teach children to respect guns, sex, drugs and a host of other potential pitfalls in a way that avoids fear mongering and better enables them to use their best judgment.

[Jerry442]

2. This explains why more children...

...are accidentally shot in houses without guns.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

4. So abstinence education works?

[Jerry442]

5. So, in your mind, guns and sex are the same.

But we knew that already, didn't we.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

7. No. Fear and fear are the same.

[gejohnston]

8. no but the attraction to the

prohibited and mysterious. Same concept regardless of the subject.

[enough]

6. Certainly children should be taught firearm safety whether there are guns in their home or not. (nt)

[beevul]

16. Of course they should.

But getting people who are not pro-gun to begin with, to agree, is like pulling hydras teeth.

[2pooped2pop]

9. We had loaded guns in the house growing up

We played with them without parents knowledge.

[Straw Man]

10. Just to clarify ...

We had loaded guns in the house growing up

We played with them without parents knowledge.

You are saying that your parents left loaded guns unsecured in your home? How old were you when you were able to access and "play" with them?

[2pooped2pop]

11. Its been five decades

Things were different then. There was a loaded shotgun behind the front door as long as I can remember. A pistol was hidden in the bedroom but we figured it out. The earliest I can remember handling them was somewhere between _13 and 17.

[Straw Man]

13. I see.

I think 13 is old enough to responsibly handle firearms, if you've been taught basic safety.

[2pooped2pop]

14. No. parents would have killed us if they had known.

I'm sure though that there are many people who keep loaded guns in their house today and think that the kids don't know where they are. I'd bet they are wrong. Just hiding them is not enough.

[Straw Man]

15. Did they ever teach you anything about gun safety?

I'm sure though that there are many people who keep loaded guns in their house today and think that the kids don't know where they are. I'd bet they are wrong. Just hiding them is not enough.

Absolutely agree. Firearms in houses with children should be securely locked away or in direct control of an adult.

[Brickbat]

12. "Stop, don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult."

People don't want to try it because it's an NRA talking point, I guess.