Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (8)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Thompson, M. P.
Right arrow Articles by Mercy, J. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Thompson, M. P.
Right arrow Articles by Mercy, J. A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 150, No. 3: 235-244
Copyright © 1999 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health

other

Epidemiology of Injuries among Women after Physical Assaults: The Role of Self-protective Behaviors

Martie P. Thompson1,, Thomas R. Simon2, Linda E. Saltzman2 and James A. Mercy2

1Epidemic Intelligence Service, Epidemiology Program Office and Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, GA.
2Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, GA.

Reprint requests to Dr. Martie P. Thompson, Division of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, MS K-60, Atlanta, GA 30341.

Physical assaults against women result in more than 5, 000 deaths and 1 million nonfatal injuries per year in the United States. Data from the National Crime Victimization Survey, 1992–1995, were used to test the association between injury risk and self-protective behaviors, while controlling for victim, offender, and crime-related characterstics. Unlike in prior studies, a self-protective behavior measure that accounted for the temporal sequencing of the occurrence of injuries and self-protective behaviors was used. The study also examined whether the effect of self-protective behaviors varied as a function of victim-offender relationship status. The sample included 3, 206 incidents in which females were physically assaulted by a lone male offender within the previous 6 months. Multivariate results revealed that women who used self-protective measures were less likely to be injured than were women who did not use self-protective measures or who did so only after being injured. The effect of self-protective behaviors on risk of injury did not vary as a function of the victim-offender relationships. The inverse association found between self-protective behaviors and injury risk differs from those of previous studies. Owing to inconsistent findings across studies, caution should be used when making recommendations to women regarding whether or not they should use self-protective behaviors during a physical assault. Am J Epidemiol 1999; 150: 235-44.

crime victims; risk factors; women; wounds and injuries


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Violence Against WomenHome page
D. F. Flake
Individual, Family, and Community Risk Markers for Domestic Violence in Peru
Violence Against Women, March 1, 2005; 11(3): 353 - 373.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Homicide StudiesHome page
W. A. Pridemore
Recognizing Homicide as a Public Health Threat: Toward an Integration of Sociological and Public Health Perspectives in the Study of Violence
Homicide Studies, May 1, 2003; 7(2): 182 - 205.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.