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The Relentless School Nurse: Changing Culture to #ShowGunSafety

Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN
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The #ShowGunSafety initiative by Brady United Against Gun Violence is a collaborative effort with Hollywood creatives to promote responsible gun use and ownership in TV and film. This initiative aims to model safe gun handling practices on screen, including showing consequences for reckless gun use, emphasizing responsible gun ownership, and limiting scenes featuring children and guns. Hollywood professionals, including actors, directors, and showrunners, have signed an open letter supporting positive culture change regarding gun safety in media.
 
Brady’s #ShowGunSafety program is already proving to be successful. Drawing inspiration from the effective portrayal of seat belt use on TV and the success in reducing drunk driving and smoking in media, Brady’s program focuses on codifying gun safety principles in collaboration with creators to depict firearm safety on screen. This effort has been well-received and is making a positive impact by encouraging the industry to model safe gun practices in entertainment media, contributing to a cultural shift towards responsible depictions of guns.

 

The three-part pledge asks creatives to: 

1. Use creativity to model responsible gun ownership and show consequences for reckless gun use, including making a conscious effort to show characters locking their guns safely and making them inaccessible to children.

2. Have at least one conversation during pre-production regarding the way guns will be portrayed on screen and consider alternatives that could be employed without sacrificing narrative integrity.

3. Bearing in mind that guns are now the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, working to limit scenes that feature children and guns.

Expanding the Show Gun Safety principles to directly collaborate with producers, writers, and filmmakers is a strategic move by Brady United to embed responsible gun handling practices across the entertainment industry. By portraying safe gun handling, even in animated content or live-action thrillers, Brady is advocating for a nuanced approach that emphasizes the importance of gun safety without necessarily removing guns from narratives altogether.

Encouraging the depiction of responsible actions such as storing firearms safely and avoiding gratuitous displays of guns in marketing materials reflects a thoughtful approach to influencing cultural perceptions surrounding firearms. By promoting the idea of being intentional and mindful about how guns are portrayed and marketed, Brady is addressing the pervasive nature of guns in our cultural narratives while acknowledging their continued presence.

This approach not only aligns with the goals of the #ShowGunSafety initiative but also underscores the broader mission of Brady United to foster a cultural shift towards responsible gun ownership and usage. By working closely with industry professionals to integrate these principles into their creative processes, Brady is leveraging the power of storytelling to promote positive norms and behaviors regarding guns, ultimately contributing to a safer society. 

Take the Show Gun Safety Pledge!

Watch how #ShowGunSafety is unfolding in this small, but powerful tweak:

Let’s join together to promote #ShowGunSafety, it saves lives and changes our culture because stories turn into action. 

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