Curriculum targets gun violence

Mother of teen who accidentally shot self wants gun safety taught

After Ethan Song accidentally shot and killed himself at a friend’s house in January 2018, his mother, Kristin Song, found that activism was “the only way [she] could survive.” She’s since pushed for legislation, dubbed “Ethan’s Law,” which requires unloaded firearms be properly secured in homes with minors. But Song isn’t done yet. Another element of the bill states that “the State Board of Education shall, rather than may, develop a firearm safety curriculum guide for students.” With that in mind, Song is working with lifelong friend and K-8 educator Gretchen Toussaint to develop a curriculum that will keep children away from guns — one they hope will help prevent accidental shootings and teen suicides.

Though the state has been legally allowed to develop a firearm safety curriculum since at least the 1990s, the Department of Education could not confirm whether it ever did so, spokesman Peter Yazbak said in an email. Ethan’s Law would require that “within available appropriations” the curriculum be developed, and it would expand the target age range from K-8 to K-12, his email said.

(Yazbak noted that another section of state law allows parents to request their children be exempt from the firearm safety courses.)

The process is in its early stages. The bill has gone through the Judiciary Committee but not the Education Committee, and therefore the State Department of Education has not yet had extensive opportunity to review the language, Yazbak said.

The early nature of the legislative process isn’t stopping Song and Toussaint from making plans, however. Toussaint said she imagines the curriculum would be integrated into existing wellness courses.

With more guns than people in the United States, Song said, the risk of a child getting access to firearms is widespread. The Washington Post has reported that there are “393 million civilian-owned firearms in the United States.”

“It’s time to start speaking about this,” Song said.

The idea for a safety curriculum has found support with entities that have otherwise voiced opposition to Ethan’s Law, including the Connecticut Citizens Defense League, which advocated that the language compelling such a curriculum appear in the bill.

CCDL President Scott Wilson said he was “ecstatic that they actually changed the language.”

“This is not some hands-on gun class,” Wilson emphasized, but should be a class “to teach children that if they do open up their parents’ drawer and see a gun … to not get swept up in that curiosity because guns are very dangerous if they’re in the wrong hands.”

Wilson himself was accidentally shot by his brother when he was a child, he said. He believes a firearm safety curriculum may have helped prevent the accident.

Though the CCDL does not support Ethan’s Law in its entirety, Wilson wrote of his willingness to work on a curriculum in an email.

“Given that the bill will likely

become law, we are willing to work with the Song family and the State Board of Education on developing a safety program geared towards children,” his email said.

For their part, Toussaint and Song are willing to listen, even if the advice is coming from pro-gun organizations.

“I think if we just work together we can probably come up with something pretty amazing,” Toussaint said.

The NRA, for example, has some good language in its handbook about keeping kids away from guns, Song said. If it helps, they’ll use it.

“We’re not going to exclude anyone because we don’t care for their organization,” she said. “Our main goal is to keep children safe. Everyone needs to play their part.”

In addition to hearing out Second Amendment organizations, for the educational portion of Ethan’s Law, Song plans to draw from a project that the Brady Campaign, a national organization that works to prevent gun violence, is undertaking. The organization is putting together a team to develop its own curriculum geared toward students, said Robert Disney, director of state and chapter relations.

The project falls under the umbrella of the Brady campaign End Family Fire, a type of gun violence project overseer Meagan Hutcheon defined as “a shooting involving an improperly-stored or misused gun which results in death or injuries.” Family fire includes both intentional and unintentional incidents, she said.

In an article from August 2018, the New York Times reported that based on CDC data, Brady concluded that an average of eight children are killed or injured in accidental shootings daily in the U.S. (The number includes 19-year-olds.) The statistic was based on data collected between 2012 and 2016 for fatal gun injuries, and 2011 and 2015 for nonfatal injuries, Hutcheon told a Register reporter via text message.

Disney said Brady is not antigun and recognizes that many people choose to own a gun based on a desire to protect their families; with that in mind, Brady focuses on preventing unintended and tragic consequences that occur when guns are improperly stored. “If you’re going to own a gun ... that’s not a problem, but you need to be responsible.”

The onus for avoiding gun violence should not be on children, Disney said. To that end, End Family Fire primarily has sought to achieve its goals by promoting responsible gun ownership and safe storage practices to adults, Hutcheon said.

But now, they are looking to expand. And even though they do not plan to count on student education, they are eager to creatively explore its potential, Disney said.

“Our main focus is really talking specifically to adults … but we do understand the power of student voices,” said Hutcheon.

Disney envisions two important results of the endeavor, currently in its infancy: first, that it will teach children how to respond when they find guns in the home; and second, that it will help young voices advocate for a safer community.

Song and Toussaint both plan to contribute to the project.

Worries for the road ahead

Sarah Raskin, a psychology neuroscience professor at Trinity College, represents another collaborator who has signed on to advise Brady’s curriculum. Though she’s excited to help with the project, she also warned that the team has a big challenge ahead.

According to Raskin, studies show that existing gun safety curriculum is largely ineffective. You can warn a teen not to touch a gun, or you can show them a frightening video, but in real-life situations, those lessons rarely last, she said.

With that in mind, Raskin said, “we need to really think hard about what changes behavior.” Any curriculum geared toward teens, she noted, needs to be “careful” and “thoughtful.”

“Plain old ‘learn these rules’ is not the way to do it,” she said.

Moreover, Raskin stressed, student education is “not a substitute for safe storage.”

As to whatever curriculum is implemented in conjunction with Ethan’s Law, Wilson of the CCDL feels some apprehension along with his enthusiasm, as he worries that an “anti-gun spin” might mark the program.

“We would really like to make sure that opinions toward guns themselves are not brought into the curriculum,” Wilson said, adding that the material should be taught “as cleanly as possible.”

A multi-prong approach

Ultimately, Toussaint and Song want to work beyond Ethan’s Law to develop an educational program has a broader reach than student classrooms. While the two women hope to improve upon existing student curricula, Song said, the educational push for firearm safety — especially when it comes to safe storage — must target other groups, such as parents.

“It’s up to us adults to do this,” said Toussaint. “It’s human nature to experiment with things your parents told you not to.”

With that in mind, they hope to work on other vital aspects of firearm safety education, including adult-oriented programs, coordination with medical personnel and an emphasis on safe storage. Though Brady has taken on much of this work separately, Song said she plans to look at the issue further, perhaps making her own additional contribution.

In a general comment on gun violence prevention, Raskin described parent education as “critical”— simply telling adults their kids may not have learned to stay away from guns could make a difference, she said. “[Saying] to parents — look, it’s not about good parenting or bad parenting … it’s just how kids are,” also may help, she added.

In someone else’s home

Sending a widespread message is critical because even if you are a responsible parent, others may not be, said Song, adding that her goal as a mother was to maximize safety.

Toussaint said Song was such “a safety nut” that her friends teased her.

“Like, she takes a carbon monoxide monitor on vacation with her,” Toussaint said.

And yet, in someone else’s home, Ethan was able to get his hands on a gun.

Toussaint recognized that reaching adults will be “tricky” — but she and Song are ready to brainstorm.

Song said that personally, she has found documentaries a great way to learn. If telling Ethan’s story through film would help teach adults about the importance of safe storage, it’s something she would consider.

Song said making parents aware of how common it is for kids to know where adults hide their guns could motivate safer storage.

Interactions with medical personnel mark another significant opportunity to ensure safe storage, Toussaint said. For example, crisis intervention on the part of ER staff after a suicide attempt can help prevent future tragedy. To that end, they will incorporate involve coordination with medical professionals to maximize those impacts into their work.

A lot of work lies ahead, but Song is determined. Initially, she imagines that a pilot program would take place in Connecticut — but, Toussaint said, giving the project national reach would be their “end goal.”