Unintentional injury: Interventions in schools

Unintentional injury in young people mainly occur:

• in traffic accidents or everyday life
• during sports or recreational activities
• in the workplace

Unintentional injury is the result of a combination of factors, including a false sense of security (a sense of self-confidence and inner calm due to the absence of fear) which may vary according to real or perceived threats. Individuals may overestimate or underestimate dangers, or even ignore them. Particular environments may also provide inadequate or deficient security.

Interventions in schools should aim to prevent unintentional injury or critical incidents, such as accidents or drownings, by providing safe environments and promoting safe behaviours.

• accident
• drowning
• injury
• protective equipment
• safety

Note: The sense of security is addressed in more detail in the sections on Mental Health and Violence.

• Preschool
• Elementary 1
• Elementary 4
• Secondary II
• Secondary IV
• Secondary V

• Remember that students do not yet possess all the skills and knowledge necessary to behave safely (e.g. low awareness of vulnerability, lack of impulse control, inability to make themselves visible, lack of attention to the unexpected or reckless behaviour of others).
• Strengthen skills that lead to the adoption of safe behaviours (e.g. awareness of vulnerability, impulse control, improved body movement coordination, greater ability to associate behaviours with the environment and risk of trauma).
• Emphasize concrete experiential learning for concepts that students consider abstract. For example, show and explain to them how to cross the street safely or how to use protective equipment during an activity.
• Ensure a safe environment: quality of the physical environment, use of protective equipment if necessary, quality of supervision.
• Consider the fact that the unintentional injury is more prevalent among boys.
• Be aware of risks associated with thrill-seeking and the influence of peers and the media on adolescents.
• Consider the technical and motor skills needed to perform the proposed activities.