Storage Practices of US Gun Owners in 2016

Abstract

Public health campaigns to promote safe gun storage should consider partnering with groups that garner respect among gun owners for their experience with safe use of guns.

A Multicenter Evaluation of a Firearm Safety Intervention in the Pediatric Outpatient Setting

“…Another potential weakness of this study relates to having physicians deliver this type of anticipatory guidance. A recent survey showed that most gun owners (81%) did not think that physicians would be good or excellent messengers to teach them about safe firearm storage [17]. These data illustrate the importance of engaging firearm owners in this work because some clinicians and medical organizations frame their message about firearm safety in a way that can be off-putting to families who keep guns for hunting or personal protection.…”

Post‐traumatic stress disorder and firearm ownership, access, and storage practices: A systematic review.

“…perceptions of threat). Moreover, in that same study, individuals who reported concerns about home defense were significantly less likely than their counterparts to report storing their firearms safely (Crifasi et al., 2018). A separate study of U.S. veterans found that individuals who reported protection from others as a primary reason for firearm ownership were significantly more likely to store at least one firearm unsafely (Simonetti, Azrael, Rowhani‐Rahbar, & Miller, 2018).…”

State Regulations Governing Firearms in Early Care and Education Settings in the US

“…However, fewer than 50% of gun owners reported at least 1 safe storage practice, although households with children more often reported engaging in safe storage practices. 2 Despite this, approximately 20% of gun-owning households with children stored firearms in an unsafe manner (ie, loaded and unlocked). 3 Recently, there has been a substantial increase in public support for policies requiring safer storage of firearms.…”