Attachment Concept

The Problem

Two-thirds of all gun deaths in the United States are from suicides, not homicide. Research from Harvard Injury Control Research Center’s Means Matter project shows that people who die from suicide are more likely to live in homes with guns than people who attempted suicide, and states with higher rates of gun ownership have higher rates of gun suicide.

Despite this research, more Americans than ever believe that guns in the home make them safer — with the most drastic increase in young people under thirty, from 27% in 2000 to 70% in 2014.

The Campaign

When we were much younger we assigned a sentiment of safety and protection to non-threatening inanimate objects. Blankets. Stuffed bears.

Naturally, these are devices that parents use to give children the perception of safety — often to address feelings of safety and protection when parents can't be there.

What can we learn from this? Why might we believe or feel that a blanket (no matter how soft!) could protect us from danger? And, how did we come to think that guns might provide that unfounded sense of protection as well?

THE ACTION

We’ll challenge you to carry your favorite childhood object(or any symbol of attachment/safety) around your school or community. When prompted by your friends with questions, with insights and talking points provided by DoSomething, you will be prepared with a response to start a conversation around safety perceptions vs. reality and the startling truth about guns and suicide.

In addition to the offline action, we’ll create a day of action where we’ll ask you to share a #TBT photo of you as a child with your favorite safety object (bear, bunny, or the like!) along with a caption of why, as a child, you believed that this object kept you safe. Along with the photo and hashtag, we’ll ask you to share a text keyword that readers can text to receive more information on gun safety, safe storage, and how both of these factors correlate with youth suicide. For example:

When I was 2 years old, I thought this blanket was all I needed to be safe. Today movies and media make me think that guns keep me safe. But, learning that 2/3 of gun deaths are suicide makes me realize #gunsdontkeepyousafe. To learn more about gun safety text COMFORT to 38383.

In addition to the photo of yourself as a child, we’ll ask you to include a second image in your post. That image would be an asset designed by DoSomething that visualizes the 2/3 stat.