Parental attitudes toward BB and pellet guns

As well as describing our pediatric BE and pellet gun injuries and the circumstances surrounding these injuries, we also evaluated parental perceptions of the dangers of BE and pellet guns. A convenience sample of three groups of parents and their children presenting to a Midwest, urban, children's hospital emergency department was prospectively enrolled. The three groups of parents included the injured group, which consisted of the parents whose children had been injured by BE or pellet guns; the gun group, which consisted of the parents who allowed their children to possess BE or pellet guns but had not sustained injury from these guns; and the no gun group, which consisted of the parents who-did not allow their children to have these guns. All parents completed a survey concerning their attitudes toward BE and pellet guns. Twenty-eight parents completed questionnaires in each of the three groups. Most BE and pellet gun injuries occurred in adolescent males at home without adult supervision and were inflicted by a friend or by themselves. The injured group and the no gun group viewed BE and pellet guns as significantly more dangerous than the gun group. Parents who allow their children to have BE or pellet guns appear to misperceive their potential for injury by allowing their children to use these guns in an unsafe manner. Clinicians must educate parents about the significant potential for injury of nonpowdered guns.