Supporting Safer Conversations in Pediatric Care

For children’s hospitals, the impact of gun violence isn’t theoretical.

It shows up in emergency departments, inpatient units, and long-term recovery for children, families, and communities.

Firearm injuries remain the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States.

That reality is at the heart of the Agree to Agree campaign, a national, nonpartisan initiative focused on reducing firearm injuries by emphasizing shared responsibility and common ground.

Led by the Ad Council in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital Association, the American Medical Association, and other health care and business leaders, the campaign recognizes medical professionals are among the most trusted voices families turn to for guidance on safety.

That’s why Agree to Agree recently released more than 65 vetted resources designed just for them.

For children’s hospitals, these tools address a shared need: equipping the health care workforce to approach firearm safety in ways that are clinically appropriate, responsive to family context, and centered on prevention—not politics.

Curated for clinical care

The evidence-informed resources feature adaptable frameworks that guide clinicians in tailoring discussions based on developmental stage, family dynamics, and risk.

This approach mirrors how many children’s hospitals and clinics already address injury prevention with patients and families — integrating firearm safety alongside conversations about car seats, medication storage, and safe sleep.

Research shows these judgment-free conversations, especially around secure gun storage, can reduce risk and save lives.

Evidence in action

CHA member hospitals are putting these principles into practice and sharing their scripts and successes to protect more kids.

Across the country, they’re strengthening routine firearm safety counseling, using virtual reality for clinicians to practice conversations with families, and sharing practical insights from providers who have made these discussions part of everyday care.

Prioritizing prevention does not require reinventing the system. It requires aligning training, tools, and expectations so clinicians can do what they do best: care for patients and families with clarity, compassion, and evidence-informed guidance.

No single resource or conversation will solve the youth firearm violence crisis.

But progress is built through cumulative, everyday actions like providers asking questions, families making informed choices, and hospitals supporting clinicians with training that works.

The Agree to Agree campaign and CHA resources reinforce what children’s hospitals know well: When we focus on shared goals and practical solutions, we can help keep kids safe.

And that’s something we can all agree on.