The authors analyzed data from the California Health Interview Survey of 2001 that includes over 4,000 marital households. Both a parent and adolescent child (12-17 years old) were asked whether there was a gun in the home. 

Findings: California teens are almost as likely to say that there is a gun as are their parents, but there is a gender gap among both the teens (25.0% boys, 21.1% girls reported gun in home) and their parents (28.5% husbands, 21.0% wives reported gun in home). There is also a large gap in personal experience with guns - boys are three times as likely to report hunting or shooting with a family member than girls. 

This difference in experience fully accounts for the gender gap in reporting. The relevance of these findings for the interpretation of survey data is clear. Whether there is a gun reported in a home depends to a remarkable extent on which member of the household is asked the question. Hence, the method of selection of respondent(s) from within a household will affect estimates of the patterns and prevalence of gun ownership, and, potentially, the accuracy of case-control studies that use self-report information about guns in the home.