Preventing Injuries Chapter 12 Unintentional vs Intentional l

Preventing Injuries Chapter 12

Unintentional vs. Intentional l Injuries can be unintentional – Accidents l Injuries can be intentional – Violent acts

Unintentional Injuries l Accident versus unintentional injury l Accident suggests: l chance, fate, inevitability l Unintentional l individual injury considers: behaviors l environmental conditions l laws l enforcement

Injury-related death l There were 146, 400 injury-related deaths in 1997. l Motor vehicle traffic 42, 473 l Firearm-related 32, 436 l Poisoning 17, 692 l Falls 12, 555

Unintentional Injuries-Childhood l Leading cause of death for children l Automobile accidents l Drowning l Burns, Falls, Suffocation l Poisoning has decreased

Unintentional Injuries-Youth l Leading l Motor cause of death for adolescents Vehicle Accidents – Alcohol/Seatbelt l Unintentional gunshot wounds

Unintentional Injuries-Adulthood l Until 40, car accidents still are leading cause of death. After that, steep decline. l Job related deaths

Reducing Unintentional Injuries l Changing Individual Behavior l Changing the Environment l Changing the Law

Changing Individual Behavior l Preventing Home Injuries l Prevention l Preventing programs geared to parents Work Injuries l Personalizing workplace safety l Vehicle-Related l Seatbelts, Injuries Helmets and Alcohol

Worksite wellness l 80% of large companies (more than 50 employees) have a wellness program l insurance costs l prevention versus cure l productivity l absenteeism l turnover l energy l injuries

Changing the Environment l Inspection l Education l Modification

Changing the Law l Generally more effective than individual or environmental interventions l Seatbelts l Hazardous Materials l Drinking Age

Effective legislation l Laws increasing the penalty ineffective l Laws increasing the certainty of getting caught effective l Laws that raise taxes on alcoholic beverages also effective.

Intentional Injuries

Intentional Injuries l Suicide l Homicide l Child Abuse l Domestic Violence l Non-relational

Intentional Injuries-Childhood l Child Abuse l Injury l Death

Intentional Injuries-Youth l Gun Violence l Suicide l Sexual Assault

Homicide and suicide l Guns kept in the home are 43 times more likely to kill a family member or friend than to kill in self-defense

Suicide l For young people 15 to 24 years old, suicide is the third leading cause of death, behind unintentional injury and homicide.

Suicide l Suicide is the third leading cause of death for teens. Every 46 minutes, a young person kills himself or herself-- over 60% of the time with a firearm. In 1994, 3, 344 youths aged 15 -24 committed suicide with firearms.

Suicide l In 1992, more teenagers and young adults died from suicide than died from cancer, heart disease, HIV infection or AIDS, birth defects, pneumonia and influenza, stroke, and chronic lung disease combined.

Suicide Prevention l One survey of high school students found: l 24% seriously considered suicide l 9% made an attempt l 3% sought medical attention l Interventions l treatment for depression, substance abuse l crisis counseling l educational programs

Guns and Suicide l Impulsiveness appears to play an important role in suicide, especially youth suicide. It is not uncommon for adolescents to have passing suicidal impulses and the availability of a gun increases the likelihood suicide will be completed.

Guns and Suicide l Research indicates a gun in the home is about 43 times more likely to be used for suicide or murder than self-defense.

Guns and Suicide l For every case of self-protective homicide involving a firearm kept in the home, 37 suicides, 4. 6 criminal homicides and 1. 3 unintentional deaths occur (an overall ratio of 43 to 1) (Kellermann and Reay, 1986).

Intentional Injuries-Adulthood

Preventing violence l Murder rate not escalating l Black males have far higher death rate from homicide. 8 to 10 times that of whites l Causes of violence l poverty, injustice l availability of weapons l glorification of violence

Domestic violence l Violent crimes occur more frequently within families than among strangers. l Major health problem in the U. S.

Domestic violence l. A woman is more likely to be assaulted, raped or murdered by a current of former male partner than by any other assailant. l Text suggests that 25% of women and 30% of men endorse violence in some disputes.

Reducing Intentional Injuries l Home l School/Community l Workplace l Instituitional

Home l Child Abuse l Prevention l Treatment l Domestic Violence l Prevention l Treatment

School/Community l Direct l Indirect

Workplace l Spillover DV l Dangerous Employees

Institutional l Child Abuse at School/Daycare l Elder Abuse

Preventing Suicide l Educational l Telephone l Limit Programs Hotlines Access to Guns