Dads, Moms Disagree About Guns In HomesMany couples with small children living at home disagree not only about how they have firearms stored but also about the number and types of guns they possess, according to a new study at the University of North Carolina.
Among the findings were that 80 percent of males -- compared with 72 percent of females -- acknowledged that someone in their home owned a gun. Eighty-two percent of men, but only 17 percent of women, said they owned all the firearms. Eighty percent of men and women reported that it was the men's sole responsibility to store the guns.
Researchers said that, since men are most often responsible for taking care of the weapons, education on gun safety should be given at places they frequent such as home-improvement stores and sports events.
"There was only partial agreement between household partners on the number of firearms at home, the number of handguns and long guns and whose responsibility it was to store them," lead author Tamera Coyne-Beasley said.
"Our research suggests that some men do not disclose to their partners that there are guns in the home," the scientist said. "The finding that women appear to have less knowledge about household firearms indicates that their ability to participate in decision-making may be compromised. Moreover, if women believe there are no firearms in their homes, or that the firearms are stored safely, they have a decreased incentive to participate in decision-making because they believe their home is already safe."
The research consisted of telephone interviews with both adult men and women. Interviews with people married or living together took place separately on different days.
The report appears in the June issue of Pediatrics, a journal published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Previous research showed that one-third of U.S. gun owners with children under age 6 kept a firearm unlocked at home, whereas guns were kept unlocked in 56 percent of homes where children visited, Coyne-Beasley said.
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