Monthly Bulletin

Injury and Violence

February 2005

This bulletin comes to you from the Children's Safety Network through CSN Discuss, an electronic forum for the discussion of child and adolescent injury and violence prevention and related issues.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

News and Developments
  1. School—Related Injury & Violence Prevention: Release of CDC's School Health Index
  2. School—Related Injuries—Emergency Care: Guidelines for the Nurse in the School Setting
  3. School Health Guidelines: Indicators of School Crime and Safety (Data)
  4. Compilation of School Health Guidelines Released: Health, Mental Health and Safety Guidelines for Schools
Articles and Reports
  1. Article: Prevention of youth violence: The Multisite Prevention Project
  2. Article: Effects of two prevention programs on high-risk behaviors among African American youth: a randomized trial
  3. Article: Associations between overweight and obesity with bullying behaviors in school-aged children
  4. Article: An ecological study of the locations of schools and child pedestrian injury collisions
  5. Report: School-associated suicides—United States, 1994-1999
  6. Report: Suicide attempts and physical fighting among high school students—United States, 2001
  7. Article: Principals' perceptions and practices of school bullying prevention activities
  8. Article: Warning signs of problems in schools: Ecological perspectives and effective practices for combating school aggression and violence
  9. Report: Violence-related behaviors among high school students—United States, 1991-2003
  10. Articles: The Prevention Researcher Presents a Special Issue on Juvenile Bullying

AVAILABILITY

Copies of many items can be delivered to state Maternal and Child Health and state public health staff upon request. Articles available by e-mail are so indicated. Some other articles can be faxed or mailed. To request an article or other publication, e-mail jhudson@edc.org with the item name, delivery preference (e-mail, fax number, or mailing address). This service is restricted to state Maternal and Child Health and state public health staff. Restricted time and resources forbids us from delivering articles to others.

URLs of publications that can be downloaded from the web are included in the bibliographic information.

News and Developments

School Injury & Violence Prevention: Release of CDC's School Health Index

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Adolescent and School Health, has released the third edition of the School Health Index: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide. This version of the School Health Index is intended to enable schools to address their policies and programs related to safety (unintentional injury and violence prevention) in addition to the physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco-free lifestyle issues addressed in the previous editions.

The School Health Index is designed for use at both the elementary and middle/high school levels. It was developed to provide schools with a tool to assess their policies and programs in relation to the recommendations of CDC school health guidelines. The School Health Index can help schools and public health professionals working in or with schools to: (1) identify strengths and weaknesses in their policies and programs; (2) prioritize actions for improvement; and (3) develop a team approach to implementing guideline recommendations.

Availability

You may obtain a printed copy in the following ways:

School Injuries—Emergency Care: Guidelines for the Nurse in the School Setting

Illinois Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) has released Guidelines for the Nurse in the School Setting. This document provides nurses, who are working in the school setting, with a set of emergency care guidelines that can be used when caring for the ill or injured student. It includes 39 protocol guidelines that address conditions that school nurses may need to manage. In addition, the document outlines the principles of assessment and triage, and contains assessment tools and physiologic indicators.

Availability

Online as a PDF file at www.ems-c.org and at www.luhs.org/depts/emsc/schl_man.htm

For any questions regarding this product, please contact Evelyn Lyons at elyons@lumc.edu

DeVoe JF, Kaufman PK , Miller P, Noonan PM, Snyder TD, and Baum K. (2004). Indicators of School Crime and Safety 2004.

Washington , DC : U.S. Government Printing Office.

Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2004 is the seventh in a series of annual reports on school crime and safety. The report presents data on student and teacher victimization, student's perception of personal safety, gangs, student reports of bullying, students being called hate-related words and seeing hate-related graffiti, and student alcohol and drug abuse.

Availability

Online at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2005002

Compilation of School Health Guidelines Released: Health, Mental Health and Safety Guidelines for Schools

Health, Mental Health and Safety Guidelines for Schools is an online compendium of evidence-based guidelines intended for use by school administrators and others who play a role in the assessment, planning, or improvement of school health and safety programs. The compendium draws upon published guidelines on specific components of school health and safety programs and coordination of these programs. Topics include overarching school health and safety issues, family and community involvement, health and mental health services, health and safety education, nutrition and food services, physical education, physical environment and transportation, social environment, and staff health and safety.

The compendium was developed by health, education, and safety professionals from more than 30 different national organizations; parents; and other supporters. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses served as lead agencies, with support from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

Availability

Online at: www.nationalguidelines.org

Articles and Reports

Ikeda R, Farrell AD, Horne AM, Rabiner D, Tolan PH, Reid J.

Prevention of youth violence: The Multisite Prevention Project. [special issue] American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2004 January; 26 (Suppl. 1):1-82.

This special issue presents information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control- funded, five year, multisite evaluation study undertaken to increase understanding of effective practices in the prevention of child and adolescent violence. This summary includes information on the background and design of the study, as well as the findings, lessons learned, and implications for violence prevention at state and local health departments.

Availability

e-mail or hard copy

Flay BR, Graumlich S, Segawa E, Burns JL, Holliday MY.

Effects of 2 prevention programs on high-risk behaviors among African American youth: a randomized trial. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 2004 Apr; 158(4):377-84.

This article presents an evaluation of two high-risk behavior reduction programs for inner-city African American students in grades 5 though 8. The review concludes that theoretically derived social-emotional programs that are culturally sensitive, developmentally appropriate, and offered in multiple grades can reduce multiple risk behaviors for inner-city African American boys in grades 5 through 8. Both programs showed a lack of significant effect for girls. The authors suggest that additional research be conducted to understand why girls responded differently.

Availability

e-mail or hard copy

Janssen I, Craig WM, Boyce WF, Pickett W.

Associations between overweight and obesity with bullying behaviors in school-aged children. Pediatrics. 2004 May;113(5):1187-94.

This article examines the relationship between overweight and obesity status with different forms of bullying behaviors among school-aged children. The researchers looked at the association between different types of bullying behavior (e.g. physical, verbal) and overweight status in a sample of 5,749 boys and girls (11-16 years old). Researchers concluded that overweight and obese school-aged children are more likely to be the victims and perpetrators of bullying behaviors than their normal-weight peers.

Availability

e-mail or hard copy

LaScala EA, Gruenewald PJ, Johnson FW.

An ecological study of the locations of schools and child pedestrian injury collisions. Accident Analysis & Prevention. 2004 July;36(4):569-76.

This study examined annual rates of child pedestrian injury in four California communities with a focus on the unique contribution of schools to injury risk Archival data on traffic flow, number of child pedestrian injury collisions and locations of schools were obtained from each of the four communities and analyzed.

Research found that the annual numbers of injuries were greater in areas with higher youth population densities, more unemployment, fewer high-income households, and greater traffic flow. It also found that the annual number of injuries during in-school months were greater in areas containing middle schools or greater population densities of youth.

Availability

hard-copy only

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School-associated suicides—United States, 1994-1999.

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2004 June 11;53(22):476-8.

During 1994-1999, at least 126 students carried out a homicide or suicide that was associated with a private or public school in the United States . This article reviews these incidents and assesses potential risk factors and behavioral characteristics of the students who perpetrated these events. The research also explored the differences between students who committed school-associated suicide and student who committed school-associated homicide. The results indicated that, among the 126 students who carried out school-associated homicides or suicides, 28 (22 percent) died by suicide, including eight who intentionally injured someone else immediately before killing themselves. The authors suggest that schools institute policies, training, and programs to identify and assist students with suicidal ideation and behavior or those who have difficulty dealing with social stressors.

Availability

The report is available online at: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5322.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicide attempts and physical fighting among high school students—United States, 2001.

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2004 June 11;53(22):474-6.

Using data from the 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), the authors of this study analyzed the relationship between suicidal behavior and interpersonal violence. The results indicated that students who reported attempting suicide during the preceding 12 months were nearly four times more likely also to have reported fighting than those who reported not attempting suicide. The prevalence of this association was highest in the 9th grade. Thus, the authors suggest that efforts to reduce both fighting and suicide should be implemented before students reach high school.

Availability

The report is available online at: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5322.pdf

Dake JA, Price JH, Telljohann SK, Funk JB

Principals' perceptions and practices of school bullying prevention activities. Health Education and Behavior. 2004 June; 31(3):372-87.

This study examined principals' perceptions and practices regarding bullying prevention in a random sample of 700 principals. The authors found that more than one in five schools are not offering school-based bullying prevention activities even though principals did not perceive any barriers to implementing such activities. Characteristics that affected whether bullying prevention activities were implemented in a school included the number of perceived barriers to implementation, whether the principal had received violence/bullying prevention training, perceptions regarding the extent of bullying, and the number of bullying problems reported to the principal.

The authors conclude that there is a need for pre-professional training and continuing education for principals about bullying and bullying prevention.

Availability

e-mail or hard copy

Osher D, VanAcker R, Morrison GM, Gable R, Dwyer K, Quinn M.

Warning signs of problems in schools: Ecological perspectives and effective practices for combating school aggression and violence.

Journal of School Violence. 2004 July;3(2-3):13-37.

This article explores how the social environment of the school and the classroom relate to student behavior problems. The authors review school and classroom factors that have been associated with or found to support problem behaviors and discuss the negative attributes of many disciplinary polices. The article also provides information that will help educators and those working with schools to prevent bullying and violence to assess the school and classroom environments and promote a climate that will contribute to the prevention of violence and aggression.

Availability

e-mail or hard copy

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Violence-related behaviors among high school students—United States, 1991-2003.

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2004 July 30; 53(29):651-5.

The article reports the findings of a CDC analysis of Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data. The authors found that most violence-related behaviors decreased during 1991-2003. However, students increasingly reported that they were likely to miss school because they felt too unsafe to attend. The authors also found that in 2003, nearly one in 10 high school students reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property during the preceding 12 months.

The authors recommend that schools and communities should continue efforts to establish physical and social environments that prevent violence and promote actual and perceived safety in schools.

Availability

The report is available online at: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5329a1.htm

Ungerleider S. Juvenile Bullying. [entire issue] The Prevention Researcher. 2004 September; 11(3):1-20.

This special issue explores juvenile bullying. Articles include:

Availability

hard copy only

This issue can also be ordered online at: www.tpronline.org

Next month's CSN Discuss Bulletin will focus on Recreational Safety.

Please direct questions about this bulletin to Ellen Schmidt at:

Children's Safety Network
Education Development Center
1000 Potomac Street, NW Suite 350
Washington, DC 20037
Phone: 202-572-3734
Fax: (202) 572-3795
Email: eschmidt@edc.org
www.childrenssafetynetwork.org/