“Stop, don’t touch, run away!”: reconceptualizing firearm industry-funded youth education programs as corporate political activity

Abstract

Background

Injuries represent a major threat to child health globally. In the US, firearm injuries are the leading cause of death among children and adolescents. Despite limited evidence of their effectiveness industry-funded bodies promote the delivery of their youth education programs while lobbying against firearm control policies. This article analyzes how the National Rifle Association (NRA) frames issues of gun ownership, safety and the role of the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® program as an effective firearm safety intervention and examines how the design, promotion and delivery of the program serves the corporate political interests of the firearm industry at the expense of public health.

Methods

We conducted an analysis of Eddie Eagle Gunsafe® program-related materials and the NRA’s practices to promote the program’s legitimacy and effectiveness, by applying published taxonomies of corporate framing and action strategies. Data were collected from the program-specific websites and other NRA outlets to capture the breadth of strategies used by the NRA.

Results

The NRA’s education-related practices support the firearm industry’s political agenda. The NRA adopts framing and action strategies that present the presence of firearms in homes and communities as inevitable and normal, and the education of children through the delivery of their “lifesaving” program as the common-sense and effective way of keeping children safe from firearm injuries. They make misleading claims about the effectiveness of the Eddie Eagle Gunsafe® program while undermining the credibility of those who advocate for child safety, including mothers and public health actors.

Conclusion

The delivery of the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® program needs critical scrutiny as is increasingly applied to other industry-funded initiatives. Policies based on a recognition that children and adolescents are safest when their homes and communities are free of firearms are needed. Findings from this analysis are relevant beyond the US and can be used to inform the governance of child safety and injury prevention globally. Analysis of the firearm industry extends the literature on the commercial determinants of health to an important new sector with significant impacts on global health.