Firearm Storage in Homes with Children At Risk For Self-Harm
Gun Storage, Youth Suicide And Reducing Risk for Children Prone to Self-Harm
Most often, the weapons are left unlocked, within reach, or loaded. If a child with very little knowledge of what it means to hold a gun can fire and harm themselves, what damage could be in easy reach for a child at risk for self-harm? Depression and other mental health conditions affect thousands of children and adolescents. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 children between the ages of 13-18 have, or will have, a serious mental illness. A two year Suicide Prevention Resource Center study of firearm suicides in victims under 17 found that 82% of those who had died from suicide had used a firearm that belonged to someone in their family. A significant amount of those firearms had remained unlocked. Even with locked safes, many youths knew the combination or had the key to access their contents.
The Law Offices of Skip Simpson has helped many families in the wake of tragedy. These losses are preventable, and we aim to shed light on the factors that contribute to them, namely negligence.
Home Alone: At Risk Youth
Guns and mental health often intersect in a nationwide conversation. Who should or shouldn’t have access? What of our amendments? How do we keep our children safe in their own homes? The rate of youth firearm suicide has only increased over the years, and firearms in the home only create a larger risk of death by suicide to all who reside in it. Parents and caretakers have a unique responsibility in keeping their weapons out of reach from children. Any adult with access to where guns are kept should ensure that it is locked, and codes should not be revealed with children. A study in a recent issue of Pediatrics addressed whether or not gun storage differed between homes with at-risk youth, and those without. According to its findings, firearms were present in roughly 42 percent of households surveyed, and the ownership prevalence did not differ between homes with at-risk youth, and homes without at-risk youth. One third stored their guns locked and unloaded, and the storage methods didn’t seem to differ between households of various risk status, either.
This means that a child or teenager with serious mental health concerns has a fair chance of accessing a weapon, which could then kill them. A chilling story from Michigan in 2013 details how one thirteen-year-old child died by firearm suicide in a school bathroom with a handgun found at home. Though legally owned by the family, the question of whether or not the gun was stored properly comes into play.
Hanging, exsanguination, and other forms of suicide death can take minutes, sometimes hours to take a victim’s life. A firearm leaves little hope of survival. 90 percent of firearm suicide attempts end in the victim’s death.
Loaded, Improperly Stored Potential
Five-hundred and sixty-five children and adolescents died by firearm suicide in 2015. These deaths were preventable. Being able to assess and raise awareness for the presence of at-risk youth in the home should play a deciding factor in gun storage, or gun ownership to begin with. These deaths beg the question: why do caretakers not show a higher rate of safe gun storage when they house at-risk youth? Recognition of behaviors that could indicate a mental illness such as depression or early onset schizophrenia could save a life. Perhaps they believe their children or dependents simply won’t touch firearms as a house rule, or their knowledge of safe gun storage is out of date.
Currently, there are no federal laws for Child Access Protection, another issue that could lead to a death toll. In addition, storage laws vary from state to state, with common ground being that a firearm not in use should be stored unloaded, separately from ammunition, unassembled, and locked in a secure location such as a safe. When caretakers are lax with these regulations, or if they are not enforced in a particular state, the unthinkable can happen.
Accidental youth shootings are on the rise as well, some involving a home weapon and some involving a family member’s weapon. Children and firearms do not, and should not, mix.
Our Children Are Sick
Child suicide occurs more frequently in rural areas of the country, where a lack of access to mental healthcare has been noted. Adolescents in rural areas are far less likely to receive mental healthcare than those in urban areas, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. This could mean that at-risk youth aren’t even being identified at school, by a family physician, or by their caretakers. Our healthcare systems are failing our youth, and we are going to funerals as a result. Even in families with at-risk youth who store their firearms properly, there is no guarantee that a child can access one at a friend’s house, or another place where their access remains more open than it should be.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10-24. Cultural, environmental and mental factors all come into play when evaluating risks, and none should be ignored. Signs of depression in children and teens can include:
- Withdrawal from social activities
- Loss of appetite and increased fatigue
- “emotional flatlining”
- A preoccupation with death
- Hostile behavior
- Neglecting hygiene
- Risk-taking behaviors such as crossing the street without looking, or the use of substances
- Giving away belongings, especially those with sentimental value
We’re Here For You
Responsible gun-owning families and caretakers should take precautions in how they store their firearms, specifically in restricting their access to children. However, we cannot know for certain that a friend or family member who is hosting the youth is storing their firearms properly. Caretakers may not know how to spot risky behavior and red flags for one’s mental health.
We do know that these fatal injuries are still a leading cause of death, and that they are preventable. Negligence on a caretaker’s part must be addressed. If you or a loved one are in need of legal support after a devastating loss, contact us today. We can help.