As of July 2024, about one-third of interviewed Ukrainians reported receiving training on firearm safety,[2] with 24% having undergone formal training from the armed services or other sources.
A gender disparity becomes apparent, with 44% of men and only 8% of women claiming to have received formal firearm safety training. Additionally, 8% of all respondents received safety instructions from someone considered to be an expert or self-taught from the internet or books (Figure 3). Formal training is most common among men aged 60 and older. Despite Ukraine maintaining a conscript army (with a brief interruption in 2013–14), participation in military service and exposure to formal firearm safety training appear to have declined over time, particularly compared to the Soviet era (Bieri, 2015).
Overall, 81% of firearm-owning households had at least one adult who had undergone formal firearm training, with this figure rising to 90% when informal training was included. Additionally, 92% of respondents in households possessing firearms reported that all adults and adolescents in their home are ‘adequately aware of basic firearm safety in handling and storing a firearm’.
The survey assessed respondents’ knowledge of firearm safety (e.g. ‘What rules come to mind for the safe handling of firearms?’) and security (‘What rules come to mind for the safe storage of firearms at home?’). The first question was posed to all survey respondents, while the second only targeted those who reported having firearms at home.[3] Respondents were invited to provide unprompted answers, which were either coded into pre-defined categories or recorded verbatim if they did not fit any pre-coded responses.
The results indicate that about half of Ukrainians could recall at least one firearm safety measure4 (Table 5). The most informed individuals were not those with formal training (64%), but rather the few self-taught individuals who learned from books and the internet (79%). Among those without training, 39% could recall at least one safety measure.
Being able to recall safety measures seems to be closely related to the time since individuals received training. Figure 4 shows that young people without formal firearm safety training performed better at naming at least one safety measure—either from precoded options or spontaneous responses—compared to those over 60, mostly men, who received formal training, presumably during compulsory military service. Just over half of the latter group (54%) could recall a measure related to safe firearm handling, while more young respondents without formal training (63%) were able to do so.
Among households with firearms, the ability to recall any safety measure was significantly higher at 68%; however, nearly one-third of these respondents could not recall a specific rule for safe firearm handling. Most safety measures tested for were recalled more frequently in firearm-owning households; for instance, 48% spontaneously mentioned that firearms should always be pointed in a safe direction, compared to 26% of those without firearms at home. The only rule more commonly noted by individuals from households that did not own a firearm was to never handle a firearm under the influence of drugs or alcohol, which was mentioned by 10% in this group, compared to 6% of firearm owners.
Firearm owners were notably more knowledgeable about storage rules, with 90% recalling at least one security measure without prompting. Three quarters mentioned the need to lock firearms in a secure place (74%), while 45% emphasized the need to keep firearms away from children. Additionally, 32% recalled that stored weapons must be unloaded, 26% noted that firearms and ammunition should be stored separately, and 13% stated that ammunition must also be kept in a secure location to prevent accidental access. This, of course, does not imply that those who failed to mention these measures were unfamiliar with them; rather, it indicates a mental hierarchy among the various measures contributing to safe firearm storage.
Finally, the survey asked respondents in households that keep firearms at home, whether occasionally or permanently, about their security practices, particularly regarding weapon storage (Table 6). The overall picture is positive, although not flawless. Every household reported locking away their firearms, and 98% claimed the weapons were out of children’s reach. Eighty per cent stated that they use the built-in safety switches or mechanisms on stored firearms, and only 4% indicated that not all weapons are kept unloaded. A notable issue is that in most households, firearms are stored with their ammunition, which is not ideal, but may be the only practical solution when there is a single location for locking away both guns and ammunition. Excluding this aspect, 85% of firearm owners who store weapons at home implement all listed safety measures; however, when including the separation of ammunition, this ratio drops to 33%.
[2] The language used in this paper reflects the language of the questionnaire, and does not rigorously distinguish between measures related to firearm safety and security. These were used in the colloquial sense, in the way that ordinary people would refer to them.
[3] Seventy-seven per cent of firearm-owning households keep their firearms permanently at home, 8% bring them home occasionally, and 12% never store their firearms at home. Keeping weapons in family vehicles is rare, with 91% never doing so.
[4] These included: ‘Always assume firearm is loaded’, ‘Point in a safe direction’, ‘Do not touch the trigger until ready to shoot’, ‘Know the safety mechanism’, ‘Never handle a firearm in an impaired/intoxicated condition’, ‘Only handle the firearm when necessary’, ‘Learn how to handle and use your firearm’.
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