Firearm Security and Communication
Secure firearm storage is essential to protect children from accidents and prevent their access to firearms. Adults must always store firearms safely when not in use, as kids may not always make safe choices.
Many Veterans are comfortable with firearms because of their military training, and in some places firearms are an important part of the culture. Even if children take part in activities such as hunting or shooting, secure storage of firearms remains critical.
Caregivers should talk to children about firearm safety in age-appropriate ways. However, discussion alone is not enough if firearms are not secured. The safest option is to remove firearms from the home entirely. If that is not possible, ensuring firearms are securely stored is a crucial step to protect children.
Firearm Injury Statistics
Regardless of how parents feel about firearms personally, firearms can increase the risk of injury or death to children and teens. Firearm injuries are the number one cause of death among children and teens in the United States (Villarreal et al., 2024).
Here are some statistics that highlight the importance of securing firearms in the home:
- Between 2003 and 2021, playing with a firearm was the leading cause of unintentional firearm injuries among children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] & Journal of the American Medical Association [JAMA], 2023).
- A 3-year-old has enough strength to pull the trigger on most firearms, including handguns and military-style rifles (Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine & National Institute of Justice, 1995).
- Among children ages 0–12 who die from firearm-related injuries, 85% are killed in their own home (JAMA Pediatrics, 2025).
- Fewer than one-third of U.S. homes with children that own firearms follow the recommendation to store all firearms locked and unloaded (Journal of Urban Health, 2022).
Secure Firearm Storage
Select each topic below to learn best practices for securing firearms.
best practices for securing firearms
Increase child safety in the home by following these steps:
- Secure firearms in a locked safe.
- Ensure your child does not know the combination or where the lock is stored.
- Store the firearm unloaded, if possible.
Increase child safety in the home by following these steps:
- Remove firearms from your home to prevent accidental shootings and firearm-related injuries.
- Understand that some parents keep firearms for protection or tradition, but research shows homes without firearms have a much lower risk of firearm deaths.
- Understandably, removing firearms may not be an option for many people. With older children or teens, there may be periods of high stress. In these cases, it might help to consider removing firearms for a brief period, especially if your child shows signs of increased isolation, erratic behavior, overuse of substances, or expressing thoughts of suicide.
- Ask about trigger locks at your local VA during your next visit.
Select the Veterans Crisis Line video below on families and securing firearms.
Securing Firearms
The only way to fully prevent accidental firearm deaths at home is not to have firearms. If you do keep firearms, we want to help you make your home as safe as possible, especially if children or teens are present.
Select Begin to start.
Securing Firearms
In each of the following situations, choose the best options to reduce risk in your home.
Communicate About Firearms
Talking with your children or other parents about firearm safety and how they are secured in homes can be an uncomfortable and value-laden subject. Having tools to guide these conversations can help reduce the risk of accidents. These are general suggestions. Use what works best for your family.
Talking With Other parents
When children start spending time in other homes, their worlds start to open up. At the same time, parents face new worries. Firearms can be one of these concerns.
Talking about firearm security with other parents or caregivers might feel awkward at first—but it’s a conversation worth having. Just like you’d ask about food allergies or seat belts, it’s okay to ask how firearms are stored. Here’s an example of how that conversation can go:
How to Ask Another Parent or Caregiver How They Store Their Firearms
Parent 1: So glad Liam can come over tomorrow! He doesn’t have any allergies or medical issues.
Parent 2: No problem! We love Liam.
Parent 1: I always like to do a quick safety check. Once a Veteran, always a Veteran! How do you all secure your firearms in your home? I always want to double-check that Liam can’t get into something he shouldn’t.
Parent 2: Oh, we don’t have any firearms at all.
Parent 1: That’s cool. Just wanted to make sure. Better safe than sorry.
That’s it—it doesn’t have to be complicated or confrontational. A quick, respectful question can help keep your child safe. If the answer you get makes you uncomfortable, it’s okay to offer to host the playdate at your home instead. You know your comfort level and your child best.
Talking to Your Kids
Talking to your kids about firearms is not a replacement for securing firearms in the home. However, there might be times where your child might encounter a firearm in a situation outside of the home. Here are some age-appropriate ways to communicate with them about safety:
Talking to Kids About Firearms
Tips for Talking to Young Children About Firearms
The best way to prevent a firearm-related accident at home is to not have a firearm present. Understanding this is not a decision that fits for many people, securing them in a locked safe is the next best option for safety.
Because kids might find firearms in other settings (other homes, etc.) it is good to also talk to them. With young children, keeping the language simple is important. For example: “If you see a gun, move away from it—to a different room. Tell an adult right away.”
Tips for Talking to Older Children/Adolescents About Firearms
Even if there are no firearms at home, it’s still important to talk with your teen about firearm safety—just like you would about drugs, alcohol, or drunk driving. Teens may come across firearms without their parents knowing. This continued discussion builds a positive foundation for critical thinking skills and helps teens feel supported in making safe decisions in different scenarios they might face.
Encourage teens to think about situations involving firearms and the unique challenges they might face as adolescents. For example, in a rural area, seeing a hunting rifle in a corner can be normal and not always a sign of danger. Keep talking with your teen to help them know when a situation is risky, as they can be when mixed together with alcohol, drugs, and/or strong emotions. Encourage your teen to have a plan for leaving if needed. For example, they might say: “My mom just texted—I need to head home right now.”
As we’ve emphasized, the best way to keep your child safe is by securing any firearms in your home or by choosing not to have them at all. We’ve also shared some age-appropriate ways to talk with your child about staying safe in places where you may not have as much control. If you’d like more support for starting these conversations, be sure to check out the communication section of this course.
Wrap-Up
As many of us know, it can be a difficult shift from non-parent to parent. Suddenly, you need guards for your outlets, safety locks for cupboards, and gates at the tops of stairs. Regardless of our own level of comfort with firearms, this parenting topic is like many other safety concerns. Just as children cannot understand that electricity will hurt them, they don’t understand the potential impact of firearms either. As parents or caregivers, we create the safety net until we can provide our children with the tools to develop their own.
References
Villarreal, S., Kim, R., Wagner, E., Somayaji, N., Davis, A., & Crifasi, C. K. (2024). Gun Violence in the United States 2022: Examining the Burden Among Children and Teens. Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Wilson RF, Mintz S, Blair JM, Betz CJ, Collier A, Fowler KA. (December 15, 2023 ) Unintentional Firearm Injury Deaths Among Children and Adolescents Aged 0–17 Years — National Violent Death Reporting System, United States 2003–2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:1338–1345. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7250a1
Naureckas SM, Galanter C, Naureckas ET, Donovan M, Christoffel KK. (1995) Children’s and women’s ability to fire handguns. The Pediatric Practice Research Group. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. ;149(12):1318-22. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1995.02170250024003. PMID: 7489067.
Rook JM, Orji W, Walker SC, et al. (2025) Child and Adolescent Firearm-Related Homicide Occurring at Home. JAMA Surg. ;160(11):1185–1193. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2025.3429
Miller M, Azrael D. (2022) Firearm Storage in US Households With Children: Findings From the 2021 National Firearm Survey. JAMA Netw Open. ;5(2):e2148823. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.48823
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