My next door neighbor seems to get great pleasure out of teaching his 6 year old grandson how to fire a toy gun. I find this very odd, especially with the recent Virginia Tech shootings. He also quite frequently takes a bb gun and shoots squirrels in his backyard, which is dangerously close to mine. Is this normal behavior?
2007-04-21 09:42:04 · 15 answers · asked by Ali 2 in Social Science ➔ Psychology
It is advisable, particularly with very young children, to discuss gun use on television as opposed to gun use in real life. Firearms are often handled carelessly in movies and on TV. Additionally, children see TV and movie characters shot and "killed" with well-documented frequency. When a young child sees that same actor appear in another movie or TV show, confusion between entertainment and real life may result. It may be a mistake to assume that children know the difference between being "killed" on TV and in reality.
If your neighbor's child has toy guns, they may want to use them to demonstrate safe gun handling and to explain how they differ from genuine firearms. Even though an unsupervised child should not have access to a gun, there should be no chance that he or she could mistake a real gun for a toy.
We didn't have toy guns when my boys were little, but they used sticks & homemade "guns" in play. My oldest even chewed toast to make it look like a gun. So, I went ahead and got squirt guns for my boys. I told them to never, ever shoot at people. They could shoot at trees or plants (great watering technique), but never aim at people.
2007-04-21 09:51:28 · answer #1 · answered by bwlobo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This grandfather comes from a day where many learned to handle guns from a very young age. I'm sure he thinks it is harmless because he probably has fond memories from when he was a child. No excuse though - in this day and age we really need to take a look around and learn from the past. There is no reason for a child to shoot squirrels anyway... how cruel!!!
This is a huge issue - but until our society as a whole realizes this, nothing is going to change.
By the way, no child of mine will ever have a BB gun. I've seen too many little brats running around shooting things they shouldn't and was actually the target of a shooting when I was 16 with my friends in the car... just some random teenage guys who were ticked because my friend wouldn't go out with one of them. And this wasn't a bad area where things like this frequently occurred. One of the two guns used was a BB... I imagine it was leftover from someone's childhood days. Think about it.
2007-04-21 09:49:41 · answer #2 · answered by shanndawn 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Throughout the history of guns people have taught their children how to use them responsibly. There was never any problems with kids and guns until people stopped teaching the kids and letting them practice with them.
The child today knows very little about them and the seriuous danger with them. They see this all glorified from Hollywood and when they do come across one they act out like they see on TV.
I would much rather teach my children about them than keep them ignorant and wanting...
You are more likely to be safe with a child that knows how to use one than a child that doesn't know how to use one.
2007-04-21 10:46:47 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't have a problem with teaching a 6 year old about guns and gun safety. I wouldn't allow a 6 year old to be unsupervised either. Shooting squirrels is another thing altogether. I would make him clean it and eat it (cooked of course). That usually breaks the want to shoot animals in them.
2007-04-21 09:48:39 · answer #4 · answered by mad_mav70 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I find it odd to be teaching a 6 year old that, but if it is taught in a safe way then there should be no problem. But if they are shooting squirrels with bbguns then there are problems. For one it may not be squirrel season. For two, you have to be 12 to hunt. For 3, its not legal to kill an animal with a bbgun. For 4, you have to hunt at least 150 yards from a persons home/building, this may vary in states.
2007-04-21 09:54:13 · answer #5 · answered by Screaminfiero 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I not in any respect enable my children play with pretend guns. Even now with my children are in there adolescents, I nonetheless freak out even as a toy gun makes its way in my domicile. undergo in recommendations injuries ensue each and each of the time. Sorry could no longer be adequate if the gun is genuine.
2016-12-04 10:29:03 · answer #6 · answered by mayze 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Children who are taught carefully how to use guns are probably almost never the ones who end up using them against innocent people. It's the kids who never knew their parents, were never protected by their parents and never taught how to behave appropriately or express their frustration and anger... these are the kids who shoot up schools.
How do I know? Parental involvement in and education of their children's play is absolutely critical to normal development.
2007-04-21 09:48:23 · answer #7 · answered by Buying is Voting 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I played with toy guns and bb guns when I was a kid and I'm normal.
2007-04-21 09:48:03 · answer #8 · answered by answer man 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that kids should not be exposed to guns playful or real at any age. Now it is okay for some with the right intent in usage.
2007-04-21 09:45:46 · answer #9 · answered by JoJoBa 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm sick of those people who think children are in harm when they play with fake guns. Nothing bad is going to happen. Let them grow up.
2007-04-21 09:52:01 · answer #10 · answered by [quarantine] 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋