May is National Trauma Awareness Month. In 1988, Ronald Reagan recognized the need for trauma awareness and established May as the month for us to dedicate our time and resources to increasing education and prevention activities.

The Society of Trauma Nurses has compiled resources for you to use during National Trauma Awareness Month. In an effort to address the continuum of care, we will focus on different trauma topics each week of the month. Members will receive weekly emails announcing the topics and availability of resources to share with your departments and communities.

We encourage you to take advantage of this time to ensure optimal trauma care to all people!

Domestic Violence
Week 4 - May 24-28, 2010

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence –

• One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.
• An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year.
• 85% of domestic violence victims are women.
• Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew.
• Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.
• Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police.

Domestic violence is a significant public health problem in the United States. All forms of domestic violence, from episodic violence to battering, are preventable. The key is prevention which focuses on first-time perpetration and first time victimization. Numerous resources are available for both victims and healthcare providers. STN has compiled a few resources to help you enhance prevention materials and education activities in your community as well as advance the care provided when a victim is admitted to your trauma center as a result of domestic violence.

General Domestic Violence Information and Prevention Materials

• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
• Center for Disease Control
  • Preventing Violence Against Women: Program Activities Guide
  • Intimate Partner Violence
  • Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancements and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA) Program: At A Glance
• National Domestic Violence Hotline
• Book Review: Healing the Trauma of Domestic Violence: A Workbook for Women
• Domestic Violence and Abuse - Signs of Abuse and Abusive Relationship
• Domestic Violence – Medline Plus
• National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse
• Documenting Domestic Violence: How Health Care Providers Can Help Victims
• What Health Care Providers Can Do About Domestic Violence
• Violence Against Women – Health Care Provider Protocols
• Family Justice Center - FAQs
• United States Department of Justice – State Domestic Violence Coalitions
• American College of Surgeons - Statement on Domestic Violence

Youth Violence

• Stop Bullying Now! Campaign
• Cyberbullying: Tools and Tips for Prevention and Intervention Center for Disease Control
• Youth Violence Prevention

Child Abuse
Week 4 - May 24-28, 2010

In 2005, almost 900,000 children suffered abuse by adults, with parents of victims accounting for almost 80% of abusers. Every day, four children die in the United States because of abuse or neglect, most of them babies or toddlers. These alarming statistics have resulted in a breadth of information available for health care providers. Below is a list of resources to aid you in putting a stop to this horrific crime and to further your knowledge on how to recognize and treat victims.

General Child Abuse Information and Prevention Materials

• Baltimore County Maryland - Facts about Child Abuse
• Child Abuse and Neglect - Recognizing and Preventing Child Abuse
• Child Abuse – Medline Plus
• Childabuse.com
• Prevent Child Abuse America
• Role of Related Professionals in Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect
• AAP Child Abuse and Neglect
• AAP: Shaken Baby Syndrome: Rotational Cranial Injuries - Technical Report
• Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect

Suicide
Week 4 - May 24-28, 2010

Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for adults between the ages of 18 and 65 years. It is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States with over 33,000 people dying by suicide in the United States every year. That is one death every 18 minutes and an attempted suicide every minute.

Sadly, suicide is the fifth leading cause of death among those 5-14 years old and the third leading cause of death among those 15-24 years old. Among young people age 10-14 years, the rate has doubled in the last two decades. Health care providers have a unique opportunity to assist in suicide prevention in all ages. We encourage you to review and utilize the information provided below.

General Child Abuse Information and Prevention Materials

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (Facts and Figures)
• Center for Disease Control – Violence Prevention – Suicide Overview
• Emergency Nurses Association - QPR Suicide Prevention Online Training QPR Saves Lives!
• National Institute of Mental Health
  • Older Adults: Depression and Suicide Facts (Fact Sheet)
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• Suicide Prevention Resource Center
• The Harvard Medical School Guide to Suicide Assessment and Intervention, Douglas G. Jacobs
• Yellow Ribbon Organization Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing
• Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing
  • http://consultgerirn.org/topics/depression/need_help_stat/