You May be surprised or even shocked by this experiment where officers and parents in Waterloo, Iowa watch elementary children through a one-way mirror with an unloaded non-fireable gun in the room. The officers wanted to see how children raised in a home with guns vs children raised in a home without guns reacted to finding a firearm without supervision.
The firearm was found very quickly and children began passing it around aiming it at each other and even attempted to shoot it. The only children who did not play with or even handle the gun were those raised with parents who taught firearm safety to them and had guns in the house. Just goes to show what firearm education can do. Watch the video and see for yourself!
The key points I would emphasize are to remember that firearms should be locked up securely at all times they are not in use or in your control. Don’t leave a firearm laying around unattended where a child or an unwanted user can get a hold of it. Always consider a firearm loaded until you are 100 percent positive it is unloaded and even then double check. Most of all if you have children, teaching them respect for firearms is a must. If you take away the curiosity and taboo that has been created in children and others about firearms by educating them, they will know what to do and not to do should they come across a firearm. The fact of the matter is that education is key to preventing a tragedy!