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Promoting Firearm Safe
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Author: Mike Henson-Garcia, MPH It's no secret that the United States is facing a massive firearm injury epidemic. Thousands of incidents that happen every day across the country, underscoring the need for public health officials to develop and implement effective strategies to promote firearm safety in households across the nation. The gravity of the firearm injury epidemic in the country demands urgent and effective action with the unwavering commitment and involvement of firearm owners. It is up to all of us to come together and address this crisis with a sense of responsibility and purpose, for the sake of our communities and loved ones. How do firearm owners perceive recommendations for “safe” and “secure” firearm storage? And, perhaps more importantly, do they actually follow them? Here is a lowdown of the literature. 1. Miller et al.’s Cross Sectional Study (2005): States where gun owners are more likely to store their firearms loaded have a higher proportion of unintentional firearm fatalities. The risk is even greater in states where loaded firearms are more likely to be stored unlocked. This study only focused on unintentional firearm deaths as an outcome. 2. Grossman et al.’s Case-Control Study (2005): Firearms that came from households where a firearm injury occurred were less likely to be stored in a safe manner than control guns. This study focused on both suicides and unintentional injuries among youth under the age of 20 years old and concluded that following these safe storage behaviors are critical in preventing firearm injury. How do firearm owners feel about firearm safe storage practices? The recommendations put forth by organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) related to firearm storage have been informed by this growing body of empirical evidence. Both organizations support triple safe storage practices; however, the AAP goes further and recommends that the safest home is one without a firearm, while the NSSF does not make such a claim. Several studies have investigated how firearm owners perceive triple safe storage recommendations: ♦ Aitken et al.’s Qualitative Study (2020): Gun-owning parents and guardians in three US states with high firearm ownership felt that safe firearm storage interfered with their personal protection needs, especially for handguns. They found trigger locks and other external locking devices to be a nuisance and rarely used them. ♦ Schenk et al.’s Qualitative Study (2022): A good portion of firearm-owning parents revealed that their current firearm storage practices were not entirely secure. However, they believed that the storage practices they used were adequate for their specific situations. Interestingly, the reasons why participants did not use the safest possible storage practices varied. Some participants argued that their young children were unlikely to access or handle firearms, so they did not feel the need to use more secure storage practices. On the other hand, participants acknowledged that keeping no firearms in the house would be the best approach to ensure child safety. Despite this knowledge, they still chose to store firearms in their homes. So, how can we help motivate firearm safe storage behaviors among firearm owners? Effective persuasion strategies can help public health practitioners communicate health information in a way that resonates with their target audience. Using persuasive messages, public health professionals have motivated people to make healthier choices, such as exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, and avoiding risky behaviors like smoking or substance abuse. Our latest research delved into effective communication strategies that promote safe firearm storage practices. Firearm retailers shed light on language and communication features that resonate best with this audience. Here are some themes: 1. Language matters: Firearm retailers prefer to speak about firearms rather than weapons or guns. Words have meaning, and participants believe that using less demonizing language and rhetoric about firearms can promote engagement from the firearm community in firearm injury prevention efforts spearheaded by public health officials. 2. Firearm retailers commonly made analogies when discussing firearm safety. Two common analogies participants made were ‘firearms are like motor vehicles’ and ‘firearms are like tools’. These comparisons are unique and should be explored in future messaging efforts to promote firearm safe storage. 3. Develop messages for specific sub-audiences among the firearm owning community. There are four distinct segments of firearm owners: firearm-owning parents, new firearm purchasers, military and veteran populations, and firearm-owning women. By developing tailored messages for each of these groups, we can address their unique experiences and ensure that they are equipped with the knowledge and resources necessary for safe firearm ownership. This targeted approach can make all the difference in promoting responsible firearm ownership and preventing tragic accidents. The effective promotion of firearm safety requires recognition from the public health community that firearm owners are not a static population but rather an amalgamation of dynamic sub-audiences, each containing unique perspectives, motivations, and lived experiences. A thorough understanding of these audiences and their needs is paramount to make real progress in curbing the epidemic of firearm-related injuries and deaths. ■ |
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