Parents’ Perspectives on Curbing Gun Violence among Children in Three Counties in Indiana

Abstract

The occurrence of fatalities associated with gun violence among children, as reported in the media, makes studying gun violence and its prevention among children a priority. The purpose of this study was to investigate parents’ views on gun violence and whether gun safety education should be provided in schools. Thematic analysis was conducted on open-ended questions and descriptive statistics for closedended questions. Of the 200 participants, 79% (n= 158) of them indicated that gun safety instructions should be taught in schools, whereas 21% (n= 42) disapproved. Forty-five percent of the 158 participants who agreed to gun safety education suggested that police/military personnel teach gun safety to children. Overall, the parents questioned believed that gun safety education would help children to understand the seriousness of this issue. Some parents were not in favor of gun safety education. However, because the overwhelming majority was in favor of it, it is important for stakeholders in schools to consider offering it as one possible way to reduce gun violence among children.