Author Description

Presents and discusses findings of focus group sessions conducted across Canada with parents (including mainstream Canadian, Aboriginal, East Indian, and Chinese groups) regarding attitudes toward childhood injuries. An indirect, scenario-based approach was used in the sessions to elucidate attitudes about parental behaviours relevant to child safety and injury issues, allowing participants to discuss their opinions in the third person. Participants also completed a questionnaire prior to the sessions. Issues discussed include the importance of injury as a cause of death in children; awareness of the preventability of childhood injuries; knowledge of safety issues; beliefs about influences on children's risk-taking behaviours; influences on parents' awareness of injury risk in situations; sources of safety information; judgments about responsibility for childhood injuries; and beliefs about the best way to teach about safety. Appendices include a copy of the questionnaire and a summary of data from the discussions about the scenarios.