Positive studies regarding youth and firearms?

[Crust]

Hope someone here could lend a hand with this one. And this might turn into a new repository for facts and data for the next generation to use to further educate the uninformed on how safe firearms are in the hands of well trained individuals.

I am looking for unbiased studied regarding the benefits of exposing teens and preteens to shooting sports to help instill confidence and responsibility of actions. I am hoping to show my ex-wife that allowing my children to participate in firearm safety and youth shooting programs will help them develop into more responsible people.

Any info and/or help will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Russ

[xounlistedxox]

When I was a child we would go shooting all the time. I was taught proper firearms handling and safety rules like always treat any firearm as if it's loaded even if you think it's not. My step father would always call me into their room when he got a new firearm. He would make sure it was unloaded, and then I would double check. He would let me handle it until I was completely bored with it then I would give it back to him. After this I never went in their room to sneak a look at the firearms, or mess with them, or show my friends because I already knew all about it and had handled it. There were no gun safes in the house and I knew where every firearm was, but I never had that curiosity to go mess with them. I am now a hobby shooter of over 20 years and have had zero accidents of any sort, no close calls, and am able to train new comers on proper firearms handling/shooting.

I'm not saying this would work for every child, but I know it worked for both my brother and I. The more you try to hide anything from children the more curious they are going to be. With something like firearms that could lead to a very bad situation. If children are not taught how to properly handle firearms at a young age I think that the parents should not have firearms in the house at all. I first shot a .357 with the help of my father at a very young age I would guess to say 5 or 6 and that thing scared the heck out of me, so I knew first hand how dangerous firearms were and stayed away.

[Chk Chk Boom]

The more you try to hide anything from children the more curious they are going to be.

Bingo.