Noting that firearms outnumber children by a margin of almost three to one in the United States, this report advocates gun safety policies to protect children. The report provides information on trends in youth firearm deaths from 1994 and 1999 and comparisons of U.S. data to those of other industrialized countries. A table delineates 1996-1998 statistics on firearm deaths of children and teens ages 0-19 for each state and nationwide, differentiating deaths due to homicide, suicide, accident, and unknown intent. Additional tables provide information on firearm deaths by age and race, and on firearm deaths from 1979 to 1998. The report argues that national legislation is needed to: (1) register all firearms and license all gun owners; (2) encourage safe storage laws and mandatory trigger locks; (3) apply consumer safety standards to the gun industry; and limit handgun purchases to one a month. In addition, the report presents findings of a recent poll indicating that 90 percent of American high school students support key gun safety proposals. (Contains 15 references.) (KB)