Firearm Safety for Parents
An online firearm safety program designed for parents.
Meet Lesley Hu
In January 2021, Lesley Hu’s 9-year-old son Pierce was murdered by her ex-husband with a gun during a custody battle. After killing Pierce, her ex-husband died by suicide.
She now spends her days advocating for safe gun storage to prevent this tragedy from happening to other families through her nonprofit, Pierce’s Pledge. The Stanford PLEDGE program appreciates Lesley’s willingness to share her story to illustrate the importance of this parent curriculum.
Welcome, Parents
This self-paced online training gives you a short overview of the PLEDGE firearm safety program.
Students at participating high schools will take this two-hour program at school.
Regardless of whether your student has access to the PLEDGE program, this parent training shares simple ways to help prevent firearm-related injuries and how to talk to your teen about it.
Why This Progam Matters
Firearm injuries are the leading cause of death in children in the United States today (Goldstick et al., 2022). That’s why it’s important for families to learn about firearm safety, how to store firearms securely, and how to recognize mental health warning signs.
This training is explicitly non-partisan, recognizing the diverse perspectives on firearm ownership while emphasizing the shared responsibility of preventing harm. It focuses on something we all care about: keeping kids and families safe.
About PLEDGE
By equipping both parents and students with practical tools and knowledge, PLEDGE empowers families to take proactive steps to reduce firearm-related harm through its community and firearm safety principles of:
Preventing firearm injury through education and awareness
Learning responsible safety practices
Educating ourselves and others
Deterring firearm-related injury by fostering responsible behavior
Guarding against unauthorized access
Empowering students with knowledge to reduce firearm-related harm
Your Involvement Matters.
Whether you are a parent, guardian, or caring adult, your commitment to your child’s safety and well-being is at the heart of the PLEDGE program.
By understanding what your child is learning about firearm safety and mental health, you can talk with them in meaningful ways—conversations that could even save lives. Together, we can help build a safer community for everyone.
Explore this site to learn more about firearm safety, the PLEDGE program, and how to talk to your child more about firearms.