Youth and guns: two topics that are nearly guaranteed to cause polarizing ideas from any group of individuals, especially depending on your geographic location.
While in the American South, it’s much more common for youth to learn to shoot and hunt from a early age, western and northern states don’t always take too kindly to the idea of kids toting guns — even after being through various safety courses.
Relative safety aside, it’s important to explore whether or not recent legislation could truly limit youth and other individuals from learning firearm safety in a controlled environment.
Youth Shooting Programs
With the National Rifle Association and other organizations pouring millions of dollars into nationwide youth shooting programs, the number of people who reach the age of majority with a gun legally in their hand continues to grow. However, many people question whether or not a child should be trusted with a firearm even under heavy supervision.
While many firearm educators disagree and are convinced that children are able to carefully wield a potentially deadly weapon, the heated discussion continues throughout the country. Gun advocates are quick to note that many gun accidents involving children occur because of a lack of familiarity with the weapon — something that could be alleviated by adequate training and a better understanding of the dangers inherent with guns.
CAP Laws
Child Access Prevention, or CAP laws, seek to limit access to guns for children by imposing strict regulation against anyone who allows a child to misuses a gun that has been negligently left accessible. These laws have been extended to non-powder and toy guns such as BB and air guns, as well as limiting the sale and distribution of toys that appear to be too “real”, or close in design to a real firearm.
These laws are intended to save children from the possibility of having a law enforcement professional question whether their gun is real or just a toy. If non-powder guns are considered to pose a substantial safety hazard to children, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulates their sale. However, there is no visible correlation between states that have enacted CAP laws and a reduction in gun-related injuries in children.
Ideal Ages for Gun Safety
While there are no ideal ages for gun safety, most people agree that children under the age of 10 can have a difficult time understanding the intricacies involved in staying safe with firearms.
Organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America, 4-H and others routinely train children 10 and older on gun safety and issue hunting licenses to this age group as well. However, most young hunters aren’t allowed to take hunter safety courses until age 11 — although critics believe this is still too young to be safe.
It remains to be seen whether or not ongoing legislation will negatively impact ongoing gun safety training for youth. However, a lack of gun training from a young age could lead to a greater number of accidents in the future as children discover firearms and are not fully aware of how to approach them safely.
~ Firearm Daily
