Firearms
Many AFS participants come from countries where it is uncommon for individuals to possess firearms, and laws regarding personal use and ownership of firearms are more restrictive than in the US. For this reason, most participants may never have seen a firearm and/or may be uncomfortable in their presence. This, like any other cultural difference, is an opportunity to explore a different reality and perspective, for both for the student and for the host family. We invite students to speak openly with their host families and volunteers about their questions, concerns, and/or cultural perspectives regarding firearms and gun ownership. This may allow our students the opportunity to safely learn and actively diffuse any concerns they may have surrounding firearms in the home.
Participant safety is our top priority at AFS. Laws on gun ownership and safe storage of firearms vary from state to state. Regardless of state law, as per the Host Family agreement, AFS Host Families in possession of firearms must ensure that any firearms and/or ammunition are safely stored and inaccessible to participants.
In order for the hosted participant to take part in any activity that involves the use of firearms or other weapons, host parents must ensure that their hosted participant has a Supplemental Activity Waiver on file. This permission should be obtained by contacting your local AFS support volunteers, who will then contact AFS staff to request AFS and sending parent approval. In addition, if the Supplemental Activity Waiver is obtained, host families must ensure that the participant receive proper training on firearm safety and operation prior to handling any firearm, whether this training is required by any local or state authorities or not. CBYX, FLEX, and YES students are NOT permitted to handle firearms, regardless of if they ask for a Supplemental Activity Waiver.
The Hosted Student Help & Learning Page informs hosted participants on the realities of firearms in the U.S., specifically that:
- People in the U.S. possess firearms or guns for various reasons, from hunting to personal protection.
- The right to own weapons is granted in the United States Constitution.
- Currently, gun control is a controversial issue.
- A gun or any other weapon is NOT a toy.
- Preventable or accidental deaths occur every year from the mishandling of firearms
- If hosted participants come across a gun in the home of their host family or in the home of a friend, they should NOT touch it.
- Hosted participants should only touch or handle guns for the purpose of hunting or sport, and only with the expressed permission of a host parent and under the direct supervision of a host parent, written permission of the sending parent or guardian, in the form of a Supplemental Activity Waiver, after appropriate firearm safety training, and under the direct supervision of a host parent or another responsible adult.