Normal view MARC view ISBD view

Child deaths and serious injury as a result of assault in Sweden and New Zealand Duncanson, Mavis

By: Duncanson, Mavis.
Material type: materialTypeLabelBookPublisher: Wellington Office of the Commissioner for Children 2006Description: 4 p. ; computer file : PDF format (187Kb).Subject(s): ADOLESCENTS | CHILD NEGLECT | CHILDREN | DEMOGRAPHICS | HEALTH | HOMICIDE | HOMICIDE | INFANTICIDE | INTERVENTION | PHYSICAL ABUSE | STATISTICS | TREATMENT | NEW ZEALAND | PREVENTION | CHILD ABUSEOnline resources: Click here to access online Summary: This report presents and compares data, from New Zealand and Sweden, on child deaths (children under 18 years) and hospitalisation as a result of assault. Data was provided by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare Epidemiologic Center, the Injury Prevention Research Unit at Otago University, New Zealand Health Information Service, and Statistics Sweden and Statistics New Zealand. Data sets for the years 1997 to 2001 from each country include all deaths and hospitalisations from assault. The results show that a child in New Zealand is almost three times more likely to die from assault than a child in Sweden. The proportion of very young children killed in New Zealand compared to that of Sweden showed alarming results. Two-thirds (66%) of child deaths from assault were of children aged under seven years, with one-quarter (26%) aged under one year. The comparable data for Sweden showed that 28% of the child deaths were of children aged under seven years and half of the deaths were of teenagers. Hospital admissions for injury from assault show that a child in New Zealand is twice as likely as a child in Sweden to be admitted to hospital. The author posits that caution is required in making comparisons as there may be differences in the ways data is collected and in the classification of events between the two countries. It is concluded that New Zealand as a society has an overriding imperative to address violence in our communities and homes. There is a paramount need to reduce the rates of death and hospitalisation from assault for all children and young people. It is suggested that a significant change is required in the way New Zealand society values children and young people. Preparing parents for their role, developing healthy interpersonal relationships and addressing poverty are seen as working towards reducing child deaths and injury from assault.
Item type Current location Call number Status Date due Barcode
Access online Access online Family Violence library
Online Available ON12090494

This report presents and compares data, from New Zealand and Sweden, on child deaths (children under 18 years) and hospitalisation as a result of assault. Data was provided by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare Epidemiologic Center, the Injury Prevention Research Unit at Otago University, New Zealand Health Information Service, and Statistics Sweden and Statistics New Zealand. Data sets for the years 1997 to 2001 from each country include all deaths and hospitalisations from assault. The results show that a child in New Zealand is almost three times more likely to die from assault than a child in Sweden. The proportion of very young children killed in New Zealand compared to that of Sweden showed alarming results. Two-thirds (66%) of child deaths from assault were of children aged under seven years, with one-quarter (26%) aged under one year. The comparable data for Sweden showed that 28% of the child deaths were of children aged under seven years and half of the deaths were of teenagers. Hospital admissions for injury from assault show that a child in New Zealand is twice as likely as a child in Sweden to be admitted to hospital. The author posits that caution is required in making comparisons as there may be differences in the ways data is collected and in the classification of events between the two countries. It is concluded that New Zealand as a society has an overriding imperative to address violence in our communities and homes. There is a paramount need to reduce the rates of death and hospitalisation from assault for all children and young people. It is suggested that a significant change is required in the way New Zealand society values children and young people. Preparing parents for their role, developing healthy interpersonal relationships and addressing poverty are seen as working towards reducing child deaths and injury from assault.

nz