Article Text
Abstract
The persistent overall burden of injury can not be dramatically reduced if the subfields of intentional and unintentional injury remain isolated and uncoordinated. At the same time, the differences between the subfields should not be diminished and it is important that strategies account for important nuances between the subfields. For example, intentional injury prevention practitioners have found that addressing violence requires greater attention to family and community dynamics, as well as economic, racial and ethnic inequities. Therefore, simply applying unintentional injury prevention methods without modification would be less effective. This session will share important differences between the subfields of intentional and unintentional injury prevention as well as areas of overlap, analyses that were first published in the article, Bridging the Gap (Journal of Safety Research, 2003). Areas of overlap include training and capacity building needs, the crucial role of norms change, the framing of injury issues, and common risk and resiliency factors. Difference in paradigm and strategies will also be shared. To translate these analyses into effective practice and a coordinated approach to injury prevention, the Prevention Institute tool, Collaboration Multiplier, a tool to enable different disciplines to understand each others perspectives and identify strengths and gaps in partnership, was applied. This analysis will be shared as a resource for participants to apply to support coordination of their own injury prevention efforts and maximise effectiveness of shared strategies. The session will also highlight community examples that demonstrate benefits from an integrated injury prevention approach.