Preventing Injuries "unintentional injuries"
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| Chapter 12 Preventing Injuries
"unintentional injuries" - Before 1970, the term accidents (which suggests chance, fate, or inevitability) was used. Beginning with William Haddon Jr., psychologists began to view accidents as arising from (1) behaviors, (2) environmental situations, and (3) lack of necessary laws. basic demographics - Unintentional injuries are the leading (#1) cause of death for people up to age 35. While unintentional injuries may not be the primary cause of death for the "elderly," their per capita death rate from unintentional injuries is very high, almost triple that of lower aged groups (see Fig. 12.2). gender difference - men are more than twice as likely to die from unintentional injuries. automobile crashes - are the #1 source of unintentional injuries, accounting for almost HALF of all unintentional deaths. However, the total number of deaths from this cause has been dropping due to: (1) seat belts and air bags, (2) safer cars, (3) safer roads, and (4) stricter penalties for driving intoxicated. age and motor vehicle injuries - When grouped and graphed by age an interesting "U" shaped function appears. New drivers (teens) have high death rates. The rate then declines through middle age, and then begins increasing at around age 65 (see Fig. 12.3). children and cars - Although young children have an overall low death rate, the primary source of child fatalities is automobile crashes and is usually because an adult failed to properly secure the child in an approved child car seat in the BACK seat of the car. high school students - Automobile crashes are the number 1 cause of fatalities for this group. Alcohol is a factor in HALF of these fatalities and about "20%" in this age group rarely or never use seat belts. alcohol - is also involved in about 40% of drowning deaths and in a high percentage of bicycle related injuries. sports related injuries - Though not often fatal, account for more emergency room visits than any other source of unintentional injury. the workplace - is the most frequent location for unintentional injuries among middle age adults. Factors that contribute are: (1) time pressure from management, (2) hazardous type jobs (e.g., construction), and (3) worker attitudes that "safety is for wimps." strategies for reducing injuries - have focused on three areas, changing: (1) individual behaviors, (2) changing the environment, and (3) changing laws. Changing individual behaviors has NOT met with much success. However, injury rates are going down. bicycle safety - wearing a helmet is the single most important thing one can do to prevent a fatal bicycle injury. Unfortunately, almost "90%" of high school students seldom or never wear helmets. Barriers include (1) cost, (2) discomfort, (3) lack of knowledge, and (4) looking uncool or the "nerd factor." Legislation will likely be needed to bring about significant change. preventing workplace injuries - Workplace injuries have dropped about "90%" during the 20th century. This has been largely due to government laws and agencies that enforce them. The best known of these agencies is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Changing the environment is more effective than changing individual behaviors. changing the law - has generally been more effective than either changing individual behaviors or modifying the environment. One example is the "Refrigerator Safety Act" which banned products which can not be opened from the inside (many children had died inside discarded refrigerators). Another example is the Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970 which was responsible for making drug, chemical, and other containers "child proof" or at least child resistant. successes - All 50 states have enacted laws relating to making sure young children traveling in cars: (1) are seated in the rear, (2) are in a correctly installed seat, and (3) that age appropriate restraints are being used. Air bags reduce fatalities by about 12%. However, that is when they are combined with seat belts. They can in fact become a "hazard" if the occupant is not seat belted. alcohol and driving - Raising the legal drinking age to 21 and lowering the legal blood alcohol level for "intoxication" have both had positive effects. Interestingly, stricter penalties for driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI) have NOT had a major impact. Results from studies involving the use of "designated drivers" is mixed. Some did refrain from drinking but some did drink despite being the designated driver. intentional injuries - Homicide rates, after peaking in 1992, have been declining. African American males have the highest risk of death by violent means than any other demographic group (seven times greater). rape - is a serious problem that is underestimated by the official record. It is thought that as few as "16%" of rapes actually get reported to the authorities. schools and safety - Highly publicized school shootings have raised questions concerning the safety of the school environment. In fact, schools have always been, and are now even more so, the safest place for children to be. domestic violence - The cultural values of many societies make such violence more acceptable. Abuse is also more common in societies in which women have "low status." And, many women do not have the financial resources that would allow them to leave an abusive relationship. two types of domestic violence - Michael Johnson has defined two separate types or patterns of violence: (1) "situational couples' violence" in which conflicts escalate into fights, and (2) "patriarchal or intimate terrorism" in which the man dominates the family through physical force as well as other means. The second type is more dangerous, with risk of injury and death for family members. men as victims - Though not that common, men are sometimes the victims of domestic abuse, accounting for about "15%" of abuse cases. suicide - men are more likely to commit suicide than women. Rates in many countries have fallen but they have risen in the former Soviet Union countries. In the U. S., European Americans have higher rates than other ethnic groups. Alcohol may be connected to suicide in two ways: (1) depressed and hopeless people often use alcohol, and (2) the disinhibiting effects of alcohol may contribute to the person going through with the suicidal act. Suicide risk increases with age with the "elderly" being at substantially higher risk. Figure 12.5 shows an interesting "interactive" pattern, with homicide rates decreasing with age while suicide rates increase with age. role of the media - Joyce Osofsky maintains that the "media" needs to change the way in which violence is depicted from one that accepts and almost admires it to one that holds it as unacceptable. strategies for reducing domestic violence - have focused on developing "communication skills." However, attempts to change the behaviors of "batterers" have NOT been very successful. domestic violence and the law - Most countries in North and South America have laws that make battering a crime. Some would like mandated reporting and arrests. However, some feel that this could actually cause additional violence and some women would prefer to have a choice about filing a complaint. At this time, the future of such legislation is uncertain. reducing school violence - Programs such as the Teaching Students to be Peacemakers program attempt to teach students negotiation and mediation skills. Research indicates that such programs are helpful and about "60%" of schools have them. changing the school environment - Some schools conduct "safety audits" to identify potential problem areas (such as secluded or dark areas) and then take steps to change the areas. reducing suicide rates - Increasing suicides among school age children and young adults in the 1980s prompted prevention programs to be organized. The Signs of Suicide (SOS) program is a successful program that (1) was the first school based program of its type, (2) teaches suicide awareness, and (3) screens for depression. access to firearms - parents can reduce the suicide risk for this age group by making sure that firearms and ammunition are kept secure. Download 17.68 Kb. Share with your friends:
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