Latchkey children and guns at home

Abstract

To the Editor.— In an ongoing telephone survey 1 in Texas, interviews (N = 1005; response rate, 70%) in the spring of 1989 included information about demographics and firearm ownership. All respondents who indicated that the household included an elementary school—aged in the past 5 years were asked where the stayed after elementary school dismissal. Those who answered at home alone or at home with an older child were considered to have unsupervised, ie, latchkey, children. Almost 55% of households reported owning firearms. Among households with children, 54% had a firearm; of these, 70% reported having more than one gun and 66% had a handgun. For homes with both firearms and elementary school—aged children, 15% had an unsupervised after elementary school dismissal. The Texas firearm ownership figures are 10% higher than those reported nationally (45% in 1985). 2 Assuming that, as in Texas, the national prevalence of gun