Sentiments Towards Firearm Safety Education in Healthcare Settings for Children and Families: A Mixed Methodological Study

• In Event: Firearm Ownership, Carrying, and Education

Abstract

Though much attention is given to mass shootings and violence in communities, more often children are shot accidentally or with self-inflicted gunshot wounds, including suicides. With nearly 400 million firearms owned by civilians across the country, there are numerous opportunities for firearms to be improperly secured. Primary prevention strategies suggest one way to prevent unnecessary injuries and deaths is through screenings and discussions in prenatal and primary care settings with families. This study sought to understand the sentiments of both parents and healthcare workers about firearm safety education to determine if these settings would be an appropriate location for education. Surveys of parents and interviews with healthcare workers were utilized to determine these sentiments. Findings indicate parents feel comfortable with firearm safety education in healthcare settings, but were less confident in providers’ knowledge on the subject. Conversely, healthcare workers stated how important firearm safety education was but did not believe that parents wanted them to talk about it in detail because of the political nature of firearms. Incorrect assumptions have limited healthcare workers from providing education. Findings support healthcare providers using primary care settings to teach about best safety practices, but more education for these professionals is needed.

Author

• Hannah Klein, Lewis University