Surprisingly, the new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics, "Firearm-Related Injuries Affecting the Pediatric Population," is getting little attention.
Or maybe that shouldn't be surprising considering how little attention childhood gun violence and gun deaths get these days. Even in an election year, the issue of gun violence has rarely been brought up.
That's unfortunate, as even with declines, the AAP states that "firearm-related deaths continue as 1 of the top 3 causes of death in American youth."
This new policy statement will hopefully renew interest in protecting our kids from firearm-related injuries, which include not only unintentional injuries, like when a child finds a loaded gun under a bed or in a drawer and shoots himself or one of his siblings, but also suicides and homicides.
It is a tragedy that our kids lead other developed nations not in things like education or graduation rates, but rather in firearm homicide rates, firearm suicide rates, and death rates from unintentional firearm-related injuries.
As gun avoidance programs, such as the Eddie Eagle program, "do not prevent risk behaviors and may even increase gun handling among children," it is time for everyone to get the AAP message that "the most effective measure to prevent suicide, homicide, and unintentional firearm-related injuries to children and adolescents is the absence of guns from homes and communities."
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Perhaps it is not getting much attention is because most people are smart enough to realize that blaming a firearm for shooting someone is very much like blaming a pencil for misspelled words . . . . . just saying.
Oh. And historically speaking the best way to keep kids from “undue curiosity” about guns is for the parents to introduce kids to firearms very early and to PROPERLY teach them about them. If there is no curiosity there is no mystery. If there is no curiosity and no mystery there is no reason for a child to be curious or mystified.
I am surprised that the writer of this article chose to ignore history. Up until a very few generations ago firearms were a normal and natural part of life. Kids hunted for food ON THEIR OWN often well before puberty.
Then there is that whole duty as a citizen of this nation thing in the Constitution. But that is a lesson for another day . . . .
Actually, the lesson for the day, and the goal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is keeping kids safe.
Read the policy statement and review their evidence that gun avoidance programs, which are designed to educate children as a way of reducing firearm injury (Eddie Eagle, etc.) “do not prevent risk behaviors and may even increase gun handling among children.”
Or that “research in several US urban areas indicates that a gun stored in the home is associated with a three-fold increase in the risk of homicide and a fivefold increase in the risk of suicide.”
And although people make a big deal about laws designed to makes homes with children and guns safer, it is important to keep in mind that there are already some of these laws in place already. For example, in Texas, “A person commits an offense if a child gains access to a readily dischargeable firearm and the person with criminal negligence: failed to secure the firearm; or left the firearm in a place to which the person knew or should have known the child would gain access.”
Do you have any research that shows that strategy works with guns or anything else?
I think it must be getting so little attention because it’s unavailable. I can’t find it anyway. It was supposed to published online yesterday. Dr. Iannelli, or anyone, can you provide a link to the study?
I’m glad you found it. It was released in advance of the AAP National Conference and Exhibition Oct. 20-23 in New Orleans, which explains why it came out on a Thursday, while most AAP releases are published on Mondays (which could have caused many news organizations to miss it).
Here is the AAP press release: American Academy of Pediatrics Renews Commitment to Preventing Gun Injuries in Children
Never mind, I found the link on the AAP web site. It’s http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2012/10/15/peds.2012-2481.full.pdf+html
The AAP has once again based its policy on a radically skewed demographic–violent urban juvenile criminals–and completely ignored the much larger group of children who join in NRA-sanctioned shooting matches, 4H and scouting shooting programs, or just the centuries-old tradition of fathers teaching their kids to shoot.
For the other side of this story, see my article and interview video at my web site. Google “Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership” and on the DRGO opening page go to DRGO News in the right-hand column.
“firearm-related deaths continue as 1 of the top 3 causes of death in American youth.”
Define ‘youth’…
From the AAP press release you linked in Comment #3, it /looks/ like AAP considers
youth = children + adolescents
So, Dr. Ianelli, will you complete one of these forms and let me post it?
When you say that firearm deaths are in the top 3 for youths, do you mean children say 10 and under? I was not aware that there was much suicide or homicide involved with such young children.
Or perhaps, so you can make a splash, you need to include “children” or “youths” that are 19 and under? I feel sure that gang violence and criminal behavior account for most of the deaths that you include.
It is dishonest to mislead your readers in this way.
I hope you will read Mr. Codrea’s web-site and have the intellectual courage to fill out the form and let him post it.
Dr. Iannelli:
Are you willing to assume monetary liability for anyone who follows your advice and is subsequently assaulted and injured or killed by an intruder inside their homes?
Jim Ryals
Doctors are 9000 times more likely to cause death than firearms owners. Should we push for restriction, or elimination of doctors?
http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/559846/Doctors-are-more-deadly-than-guns.html?nav=18
as a double Board Certidied Psychiarist, and Marine veteran, i find the TOTAL content of this post to be the ravings of a disordered mind!!! Liberalism is truly a mental disorder, and most likely is a disorder of the psychotic spectrum. SEEK PSYCHIATRIC HELP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!
I just checked the cdc.gov website to get the current statistics for 2010(latest year available). According to the cdc, children aged 1 to 14, firearms were ranked 9th in ‘unintentional deaths’ after a host of other issues. Out of 3037 deaths, firearms were responsible for 62, just 2.0%. Looks to me if the AAP really wanted to prevent child accidental deaths, they should be spending their time on talking about safe driving habits(37.8% of deaths) and trying to get private swimming pools banned(22.6%).
Here are the other categories of unintentional deaths to children(1-14) ranking above firearms related.
1). Motor Vehicles – 37.8%
2). Drowning – 22.6%
3). Fire/Burn – 9.4%
4). Suffocation – 7.0%
5). Pedestrian, other – 4.5%
6). Poisoning – 2.9%
7). Other land transport – 2.9%
8). Natural/Environment – 2.5%
9). Firearm – 2.0%
Ok, last statistics for the night, but this is very telling.
Compare the age group above(1 to 14) and then slide the upper age to 18.
Unintentional firearm deaths (1-14), 62. Increase age to (1-18), 114.
Suicide firearm deaths (1-14), 81. Increase age to (1-18), 556.
Homicide firearm deaths (1-14), 208. Increase age to (1-18), 1249.
Very easy to see where we start getting into the gang violence numbers.
Here is where you can do your own queries and not have to take anyone’s word.
http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/leadcaus10_us.html
It is sad to see About,com get so into partisan politics and ignore the facts with articles like this. . .