Gun Education in Public Schools

Danny WestneatLast week, when I wrote that we are so awash in guns we may as well teach gun safety in the schools, people across the political spectrum had fainting spells.

We are now one of the most heavily armed states (according to gun-permit counts). Some object to gun classes on the grounds they only endorse this arms race.

McAuliffe has introduced a resolution for the state to promote the use of the National Rifle Association's Gun Safety Program in schools. She co-sponsored it with some gun-rights conservatives, such as Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn. (It was introduced near the end of the last legislative session and won't be up for a vote until next year.)

The basic premise is on gun safety, not how to shoot. The NRA's course for the littlest kids, in elementary schools, doesn't include actual guns. It teaches them what to do if they're ever around a gun (stop, don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult).

Me: Or have parent education on what to tell their kids. Send a sheet home to parents and kids - the state can easily do that.

McAuliffe's example about NOT telling her kids anything and then they went to a friend's house where there was a gun?

When my kids were small, I always asked the parents of their friends, "Are there guns in your home?" Hard discussion but a better one than, "How did this happen?"

I taught my kids to walk away and get an adult. Not an already-overburdened teacher.

Charlie; Guns are here. The bad information is all over the media. Children should know what to do.

What they should know is stop, don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult. They don't need to know any more than that.

It doesn't even require having an actual gun for the lesson.

I don't own a gun - and wouldn't care to. That said, I can't see why anyone would object to having their child, and all of their child's schoolmates, get this lesson: stop, don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult.

You?

Comments

JS said…
We've tried to talk frankly to our child about sex, drugs, safety, etc as we go along, but I can't rely on what other parents are doing.

As always, the schools probably shouldn't have to do things like this, but that's the way it is.

I think it's a good idea.
Lori said…
I like when seemingly random topics dovetail together. I'm donating to Washington Ceasefire today as part of the GiveBIG campaign because I love their recent work: large evidence-based ads plastered on public buses reminding/informing the public that if you own a gun, it is far more likely that someone you love will be injured or killed by your weapon rather than using that weapon to protect yourself from a threat. That's good information to have.

On yesterday's GiveBIG thread, people were hesitant to donate because the event is organized by the Seattle Foundation, but I'm thrilled that my donation will be matched today, giving more money to an organization with a mission that I'm passionate about.

Anyway.... I do not like the idea of the NRA developing materials to use in schools. I just don't trust them. The NRA tried in Florida to pass a law to prevent pediatricians from asking people whether they own a gun or not as part of a well-child check up visit. Seriously. They are NOT interested in keeping kids safe from guns. They fight every evidence-based, public health measure that legislators propose to try to keep kids safe from guns. Even here in Washington state, the NRA opposes stricter penalties for adults whose guns are used by children and cause harm.

I'm sure I'll have more to say as the day goes on because gun safety is a hot button issue for me. But for now, my bottom line is that I do not trust or want the NRA involved in schools at all.
Floor Pie said…
I tried to have the gun talk recently with my son and he already new the whole "stop, leave, get an adult" thing. I just assumed they'd covered it in school.
SD said…
I have no problem with the schools teaching gun safety, but I have a HUGE problem with anything that is being pushed by the NRA, no matter how they are packaging it- they do NOT belong in our schools, ever, for any reason!!!!
Patrick said…
How much class time should be spent on this? We do get asked about gun ownership every year at the pediatrician's office.

I don't own a gun and don't plan to. But we don't need the NRA to tell kids not to play with guns and if they find one call an adult.
This all makes sense to me.

I would suggest letting Senator McAuliffe know that you might support gun education but not coming from the NRA.

Good point.
Elizabeth W said…
I'm sitting here giggling as I imagine there are folks for whom "The NRA's course for the littlest kids, in elementary schools, doesn't include actual guns" reads much like "Planned Parenthood's course for the littlest kids, in elementary schools, doesn't include actual hookers" would for other folks.

This is going to be interesting...
Catherine said…
IMO "stop, leave, get an adult" has to be taught by age 3, far before it's a k-12 issue. I was so thankful I did: my son at 3 found a realistic fake gun (not toy, basically a theater prop but it didn't fire blanks) at a large house party. I was so thankful that he came to find me with a "Mommy, the kids are playing with a gun." I've never heard 60 people go silent that fast before or since.
Anonymous said…
Putting the politically motivated vitriol aside, the NRA has developed well respected youth firearms safey programs. These programs are commonly taught by police departments, Boy and Girl Scouts, 4H, etc.. Google "Eddie Eagle" and see for yourself.

The NRA has developed the safety programs for almost all non-military organizations using firearms in the country. Most police departments, other government agencies, gun clubs, etc., use NRA based safety programs.

I can't change your beliefs, but I can make you aware of the facts.

Signed,
NRA Life Member
Lori said…
The Eddie Eagle program might be widely used, but apparently, it's not effective at changing kids' behaviors.

I did a quick literature search and found two studies that specifically evaluated the efficacy of the NRA's program. Although kids could "talk the talk" they couldn't "walk the walk" after completing the Eddie Eagle training. If left in a room with a (toy) gun, the trained kids still picked it up, and some did not leave the room or alert an adult, even though that's what they'd been told to do.

Apparently, effective gun safety programs for young kids require a behavioral component that the NRA's program lacks. Given that the Eddie Eagle program also costs money (the NRA charges a "nominal fee" according to their website), I don't see why we'd want to use it in our district.

Ultimately, the best thing we can adults can do to keep kids safe from guns is limit their access to them. We can put them thru the NRA's safety program and buy ourselves some false hope that they'll react appropriately if ever confronted with a weapon. But, at the end of the day, the biggest problem is access. And the NRA fights any attempt to limit access to guns, even common-sense ideas like CAP laws that hold adults responsible when a child uses the adult's weapon and hurts or kills someone.

(http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/114/3/e294.full.pdf+html

and

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/113/1/70.full.pdf+html)
Anonymous said…
Lori,

You raise good points about the efficacy of the Eddie Eagle program. Unfortunately, attempts to modify children's behavior aren't as effective as we'd like. Should we also stop sex and drug education? We've been doing that for more than a few years and kids still have unprotected sex and do drugs.

I'd argue that the Eddie Eagle program and current sex and drug education programs are similar - they produce incremental benefits but not absolute perfection.

NRA Life Member
Anonymous said…
True, yet we have fairly stringent laws about underage sex with minors, exploitation of minors, and illegal drug use. We don't just educate them about sex and drugs and leave it at that. I understand your NRA perspective coming from a family that hunts, but I still prefer if there is to be gun education, it doesn't come from a group that won't consider some common sense legislation re: gun safety and yes, some control who gets access to guns.

parent
Lori said…
NRA, thanks for the comment. I don't mean to be terse, but I've got to sign off for the day. But I wanted to quickly say that I suspect the age of the students matters when developing health education programs.

The Eddie Eagle studies look at 4-5 and 6-7 years olds. I don't know at what age we do drug education in SPS, and I sure hope sex education is for kids older than these!

I can see where you're going with the analogy, but I'm not sure it's apt. There will likely be differences by age in impulse control, cognition, etc. that affect program effectiveness.

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday Open Thread

Why the Majority of the Board Needs to be Filled with New Faces

Who Is A. J. Crabill (and why should you care)?