Anti gun groups and individuals often suggest that children shouldn’t be taught about guns, on the theory that children who know how to use guns will end up harming themselves or others. Such beliefs are unfounded. Instead, as the Department of Justice found, children who are taught to shoot from a young age are less likely to misuse guns or commit other crimes than children who are not taught to shoot.
As an added benefit, children who are taught to shoot from a young age are in the best position possible to defend themselves against violent criminals when they are older. A few examples: This 11 year old boy used his .22 rifle to fend off a home invader who had just shot him in the groin. As another example, this 16 year old boy was able to save himself from a violent home invader by firing in self defense. Similarly, this young man was able to fend off a home invader by using his BB gun. The same is true for older students who are in college, such as this University of Arizona student who shot two violent home invaders in self defense, or this Georgia college student who used his gun to stop 10 murders and several rapes from being committed.
The video clip below provides a great discussion about teaching children to shoot under responsible adult supervision:
Remember, having children is a reason to own guns for self defense purposes, and teaching one’s children to shoot when they are mature enough is simply good parenting.