Epidemiology of Intentional Injuries By: Michael Bosco

Intentional Injuries Intentional Injuries Numbers The outcome of self-directed and interpersonal violence Staggering community health problem in the US 4.6 times higher for black males than others Numbers 50,000 deaths per year Millions of other have nonfatal injuries per year More prevalent in men than women (5 times)

Types of intentional injuries Spectrum of violence includes: Assaults Rapes Robberies Suicides Homicides Maltreatment of: Children Elders Intimate Partners

Intentional injury numbers 2005: Residents of the US 12 years old or older reported being a victim of a violent crime in 5.2 million cases 21 out of every 1000 people in the US Declined from 10.9 million violent crimes in 1993 2003: Homicide and legal intervention 13th leading causer of death in the US (17,723)

Intentional injury numbers cont… 2004: Death from homicide was 2nd leading causer of death in the US 15-24 year old age group 5,085 deaths during 2004 Suicide was 11th leading causer of death (31,484) 3rd leading causer of death in the 15-24 age group which is considered the young adult crowd (4,316)

Epidemiology of intentional injuries Interpersonal violence disproportionately affects: Hopeless and frustrated Jobless Live in poverty Low self-esteem Alcohol, drugs and firearms are increasing used when committing violent crimes Perpetrators are usually neglected as a kid

Homicide, assault and rape Between 1991 and 2004: Homicide rate declined from 9.8 to 5.5 per 100,000 people Upswing before this time could be traced to handgun violence and crack cocaine distribution Blacks 6 times more likely to be victimized than whites Rate declined due to less violence towards victims under the age of 25

Homicide, assault and rape cont… Research shows a relationship between becoming a victim of violence and level of income Household which makes$7,500 or less 2 times more likely to become victim of a violent crime than household that makes $75,000 Every violent crime higher in males than females except: Rape and sexual assault

Homicides, assaults and rape cont… Males experience violent crime 49% more than females Males make up three-fourths of all murder victims Females victim of rape and sexual assault: 12 times higher than males Only 38% of all rape cases are reported 78% of rapes and sexual assaults committed by a person who the victim is acquainted with or knows personally

Suicide and attempted suicide 30,000 suicides reported each year in the US One-fifth of all injury mortality 2004: Men- 17.6 per 100,000 people Women- 4.3 per 100,000 people Senior men are 8 times more likely to commit suicide than are senior females

Firearm injury and injury death Intentional and unintentional deaths are included in firearm mortality rates 2002, second leading cause of injury related death (30,242) Suicide- 17,108 (56.6%) homicide- 11,829 (39%) Legal intervention- 300 (1%) Undetermined intent- 243 (<1%) Only 762 (2.5%) were classified as unintentional

Firearm injury and injury death cont… Highest risk for homicide and suicide involving firearms: Teenage boys and young men (15-24 years old) Many studies have shown that a high percentage of high school and college students have carried a working firearm to school/class Firearm Injury Surveillance Study (1993-2004) Best source done on nonfatal firearm injury in US

Violence in our society and resources for prevention Individuals and violence: Committed by individuals who lack basic communication and problem solving skills Family violence and abuse Maltreatment of children 2004, 872,000 children victim of abuse or neglect Intimate partner violence Maltreatment of elders Between 1 and 2 million elders have been mistreated or abused

Maltreatment of children Child maltreatment: Failure to act by a parent, caretaker or other person defined under state law that results in physical abuse, sibling abuse, and violence toward elder family members Child abuse: Can be physical, emotional, verbal or sexual (intentional) Child neglect: Maltreatment where parent fails to provide proper care

Intimate partner violence Can be defined as rape, physical assault and stalking perpetrated by current or former dates, spouses and cohabiting partners In 2000: 1,247 women and 440 men were murdered by an intimate partner 1 in 4 women living in the US have been either assaulted or raped by an intimate partner