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Abstract
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To extend the study of the epidemiology of interpersonal violence into the area of nonfatal intentional injury, a retrospective study was undertaken of patients admitted to a major city hospital for intentional injury during a single year (1984-1985). This study focused on interpersonal assaultive injury, excluding sexual assault, child abuse, and self-inflicted injuries. Relevant injuries made up three-quarters of all admitted intentional injuries and represented a total of 671 patients (4.5% of all hospital admissions). The intentionally injured were compared to the catchment area population and to the remaining admitted hospital population, by age, sex, and race. Medical records of intentionally injured adolescents (n = 133) were reviewed and compared to a sample of adolescent homicide victims regarding the circumstance of the event and the relationship of victim to assailant. Relevant findings are that: (1) in the area served by this hospital, male adolescents are at relatively high risk for nonfatal intentional injury; (2) among adolescents, the majority of these intentional injuries are the result of interpersonal conflicts between acquaintances, paralleling the etiology of homicide: (3) a prevalence of missing data in the medical records of older male adolescents is symptomatic of the lack of attention that has been paid to understanding and preventing intentional injury among adolescents. It is concluded that: (1) more area-specific and hospital-based studies of intentional injury are needed as a guide to such preventive efforts; and (2) medical personnel providing acute care to victims of intentional injury are an important resource for this research and prevention effort.
VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this study by Hausman et al. was to: 1) characterize the intentionally injured population at a major city hospital; 2) verify that adolescents are a group at relatively high risk for intentional injury; 3) begin description of the etiology of interpersonal assaultive injury in this group; and 4) compare the characteristics of these injuries to those of homicide victims to confirm a parallel with the etiology of homicide.
METHODOLOGY:
A retrospective study was undertaken at a large Boston hospital of patents admitted for intentional injury during a single year (1984-85) and focused on assaultive injuries excluding sexual assault, child abuse, and self-inflicted injuries.
Relevant injuries made up three-quarters of all admitted intentional injuries and represented a total of 671 patients (4.5% of all admissions). The intentionally injured were compared to the catchment area population and to the remaining admitted hospital population by age, sex, and race. Medical records of intentionally injured adolescents (n=123) were reviewed and compared to a sample of adolescent homicide victims regarding the circumstances of the event and the relationship of victim to assailant.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
Findings were that: 1) male adolescents were at relatively high risk for nonfatal intentional injury; 2) among adolescents, the majority of intentional injuries were the result of interpersonal conflicts between acquaintances, paralleling the etiology of homicide; 3) a prevalence of missing data in the medical records of older male adolescents was symptomatic of the lack of attention that had been paid to understanding and preventing intentional injury among adolescents.
It was concluded that: 1) more area-specific and hospital-based studies of intentional injury were needed as a guide to preventive efforts and 2) medical personnel providing acute care to victims of intentional injury were an important resource for such a research and prevention effort.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
Improved screening of all injured patients should increase the identification of intentionally injured adolescent patients and be used to trigger service protocols for both the immediate treatment of the patients and for treatment of current events and prevention of future events which precipitated such injuries.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
Massachusetts
Comparative Analysis
Juvenile Injury
Juvenile Homicide
Juvenile Victim
Juvenile Offender
Urban Youth
Hospital Visits
Juvenile Violence
Physical Assault Offender
Physical Assault Victim
1980s
Injury Incidence and Prevalence
Homicide Causes
Homicide Victim
Victimization Incidence and Prevalence
At Risk Youth
At Risk Juvenile
Demographic Factors
Language: en |