They could be especially effective in preventing youth suicides and unintentional shootings by young children. Personalized guns could also reduce gun violence by making the many firearms that are stolen and later used in crime useless to criminals. Law enforcement officers, who are at risk of having their handgun taken from them and being shot by it, would be safer with a personalized gun. Suicide is among the leading causes of death for children and young adults. In 1995, more than 2,200 people between 10 and 19 years of age committed suicide in the United States, and 65 percent of these used a gun.
Adolescence is often a turbulent stage of development.
Young people are prone to impulsive behavior, and studies show that thoughts of suicide occur among at least one-third of adolescents. Because firearms are among the most lethal methods of suicide, access to an operable firearm can often mean the difference between life and death for a troubled teenager. Studies have shown a strong association between adolescent suicide risk and home gun ownership. Although the causes of suicide are complex, personalizing guns to their adult owners should significantly reduce the risk of suicide among adolescents. The number of unintentional deaths caused by firearms has ranged between 1,225 and 2,000 per year since 1979.