Preventing InjuriesPreventing Injuries

Chapter 12Chapter 12

Unintentional vs. IntentionalUnintentional vs. Intentional

Injuries can be unintentional – Injuries can be unintentional – AccidentsAccidents

Injuries can be intentional – Violent Injuries can be intentional – Violent actsacts

Unintentional InjuriesUnintentional Injuries

Accident versus unintentional injuryAccident versus unintentional injuryAccident suggests:Accident suggests:

chance, fate, inevitabilitychance, fate, inevitabilityUnintentional injury considers:Unintentional injury considers:

individual behaviorsindividual behaviorsenvironmental conditionsenvironmental conditionslawslawsenforcementenforcement

Injury-related deathInjury-related death

There were 146,400 injury-related There were 146,400 injury-related deaths in 1997.deaths in 1997.

Motor vehicle traffic 42,473Motor vehicle traffic 42,473Firearm-related 32,436 Firearm-related 32,436 Poisoning 17,692Poisoning 17,692Falls 12,555Falls 12,555

Injury-related deaths 1997

motor vehicles40%

guns31%

poisoning17%

falls12%

Unintentional Injuries-Unintentional Injuries-ChildhoodChildhood

Leading cause of death for childrenLeading cause of death for childrenAutomobile accidentsAutomobile accidentsDrowningDrowningBurns, Falls, SuffocationBurns, Falls, Suffocation

Poisoning has decreasedPoisoning has decreased

Unintentional Injuries-YouthUnintentional Injuries-Youth

Leading cause of death for Leading cause of death for adolescentsadolescentsMotor Vehicle Accidents – Motor Vehicle Accidents –

Alcohol/SeatbeltAlcohol/SeatbeltUnintentional gunshot woundsUnintentional gunshot wounds

Unintentional Injuries-Unintentional Injuries-Adulthood Adulthood

Until 40, car accidents still are Until 40, car accidents still are leading cause of death. After that, leading cause of death. After that, steep decline.steep decline.

Job related deathsJob related deaths

Reducing Unintentional Reducing Unintentional InjuriesInjuries

Changing Individual BehaviorChanging Individual BehaviorChanging the EnvironmentChanging the EnvironmentChanging the LawChanging the Law

Changing Individual BehaviorChanging Individual Behavior

Preventing Home InjuriesPreventing Home InjuriesPrevention programs geared to parentsPrevention programs geared to parents

Preventing Work InjuriesPreventing Work InjuriesPersonalizing workplace safetyPersonalizing workplace safety

Vehicle-Related InjuriesVehicle-Related InjuriesSeatbelts, Helmets and AlcoholSeatbelts, Helmets and Alcohol

Worksite wellnessWorksite wellness

80% of large companies (more than 80% of large companies (more than 50 employees) have a wellness 50 employees) have a wellness programprograminsurance costsinsurance costs

prevention versus cureprevention versus cureproductivityproductivity

absenteeismabsenteeismturnoverturnoverenergyenergyinjuriesinjuries

Changing the EnvironmentChanging the Environment

InspectionInspectionEducationEducationModificationModification

Changing the LawChanging the Law

Generally more effective than Generally more effective than individual or environmental individual or environmental interventionsinterventionsSeatbeltsSeatbeltsHazardous MaterialsHazardous MaterialsDrinking AgeDrinking Age

Effective legislationEffective legislation

Laws increasing the penalty Laws increasing the penalty ineffectiveineffective

Laws increasing the certainty of Laws increasing the certainty of getting caught effectivegetting caught effective

Laws that raise taxes on alcoholic Laws that raise taxes on alcoholic beverages also effective.beverages also effective.

Intentional InjuriesIntentional Injuries

Intentional InjuriesIntentional Injuries

SuicideSuicideHomicideHomicide

Child AbuseChild AbuseDomestic ViolenceDomestic ViolenceNon-relationalNon-relational

Intentional Injuries-ChildhoodIntentional Injuries-Childhood

Child AbuseChild AbuseInjuryInjuryDeathDeath

Intentional Injuries-YouthIntentional Injuries-Youth

Gun ViolenceGun ViolenceSuicideSuicideSexual AssaultSexual Assault

Homicide and suicideHomicide and suicide

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

SuicideSuicide

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

SuicideSuicide

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

SuicideSuicide

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

Suicide PreventionSuicide Prevention

One survey of high school students One survey of high school students found:found:24% seriously considered suicide24% seriously considered suicide9% made an attempt9% made an attempt3% sought medical attention3% sought medical attention

InterventionsInterventionstreatment for depression, substance abusetreatment for depression, substance abusecrisis counselingcrisis counselingeducational programseducational programs

Guns and SuicideGuns and Suicide

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

Guns and SuicideGuns and Suicide

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

Guns and SuicideGuns and Suicide

For every case of self-protective For every case of self-protective homicide involving a firearm kept in homicide involving a firearm kept in the home, 37 suicides, 4.6 criminal the home, 37 suicides, 4.6 criminal homicides and 1.3 unintentional homicides and 1.3 unintentional deaths occur (an overall ratio of 43 deaths occur (an overall ratio of 43 to 1) (Kellermann and Reay, 1986). to 1) (Kellermann and Reay, 1986).

Intentional Injuries-AdulthoodIntentional Injuries-Adulthood

Preventing violencePreventing violence

Murder rate not escalatingMurder rate not escalatingBlack males have far higher death Black males have far higher death

rate from homicide. 8 to 10 times rate from homicide. 8 to 10 times that of whitesthat of whites

Causes of violenceCauses of violencepoverty, injusticepoverty, injusticeavailability of weaponsavailability of weaponsglorification of violenceglorification of violence

Domestic violenceDomestic violence

Violent crimes occur more frequently Violent crimes occur more frequently within families than among within families than among strangers.strangers.

Major health problem in the U.S.Major health problem in the U.S.

Domestic violenceDomestic violence

A woman is more likely to be A woman is more likely to be assaulted, raped or murdered by a assaulted, raped or murdered by a current of former male partner than current of former male partner than by any other assailant.by any other assailant.

Text suggests that 25% of women Text suggests that 25% of women and 30% of men endorse violence in and 30% of men endorse violence in some disputes. some disputes.

Reducing Intentional InjuriesReducing Intentional Injuries

HomeHomeSchool/CommunitySchool/CommunityWorkplaceWorkplace Instituitional Instituitional

HomeHome

Child AbuseChild AbusePreventionPreventionTreatmentTreatment

Domestic ViolenceDomestic ViolencePreventionPreventionTreatmentTreatment

School/CommunitySchool/Community

DirectDirect

IndirectIndirect

WorkplaceWorkplace

Spillover DVSpillover DV

Dangerous EmployeesDangerous Employees

InstitutionalInstitutional

Child Abuse at School/DaycareChild Abuse at School/Daycare

Elder AbuseElder Abuse

Preventing SuicidePreventing Suicide

Educational ProgramsEducational Programs

Telephone HotlinesTelephone Hotlines

Limit Access to GunsLimit Access to Guns