Below is the information for the Division of Injury and Violence Prevention.  Of particular interest to the field of sexual violence are the following articles:

• Train-the-Trainer: Healthcare Response to Intimate Partner Violence September 20, 2006 at the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville Virginia
• Men of Strength: understanding the role men and boys can play in preventing men's violence against women September 20 and 22
• 2006 Virginia School Safety Conference August 7-10
• New Resource for Schools: Safe Schools and Safe Students in Virginia
• Health Providers Surveyed on Their Practices Relating to Intimate Partner Violence
• Choose Respect: CDC nationwide campaign

Division of Injury & Violence Prevention News July 24, 2006

The Division of Injury & Violence Prevention's (DIVP) E-Newsletter provides an update of events, news, and developments in injury and violence prevention. Most items are linked to websites, including DIVP's website, for more detail.

Calendar Notes

¨      Train-the-Trainer: Healthcare Response to Intimate Partner Violence September 20, 2006 at the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville Virginia

Featuring Jacquelyn Campbell, PhD, RN, FAAN at the morning keynote speaker and afternoon workshops to train participants on the RADAR methodology for identifying, assessing, and referring victims of intimate partner violence in the health care setting.

For more information or to register online, go to www.vahealth.org/civp   Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.

¨      Free SOS: Signs of Suicide Training and Kits for Virginia's High Schools, August 22, 2006

The VA Department of Health Division for Injury and Violence Prevention is making available a limited number of SOS Signs of Suicide® Program kits for Virginia's high schools. The program will be offered free of charge to schools that are able to commit to implementing the program in 2006/2007 and attend a free training on implementing the SOS Program in a school setting. Learn the details at http://www.preventsuicideva.org

¨      Men of Strength: understanding the role men and boys can play in preventing men's violence against women.

A one day training focusing on Men Can Stop Rape's "Men of Strength" curriculum.  This training involves engaging discussions, exercises, and activities designed to build skills to engage men in efforts to prevent violence against women and other forms of men's violence.

Training Objectives:

o       Examine the connections between traditional masculinity and men's violence against women.

o       Learn what men can do as allies with women to create a rape-free world.

o       Explore the challenges of engaging men in anti-rape efforts and learn effective ways to overcome these barriers.

o       Learn skills for speaking with men and boys about the primary prevention of rape.

Dates and Locations

o       September 20th in Richmond – Register at www.vahealth.org/civp/sexualviolence  

o       September 22nd in Roanoke – Register at www.vahealth.org/civp/sexualviolence

For more information about sexual violence prevention visit http://www.vahealth.org/civp/sexualviolence

¨      2006 Virginia School Safety Conference

Department of Criminal Justice Services, Virginia Center for School Safety Hampton Roads Convention Center, August 7-10, 2006

Registration deadline is July 24, 2006 at 5:00 PM

http://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/vcss/conferences/2006SchoolSafetyConference.cff

¨      Juvenile Firesetter Training on August 14 and August 15, 2006 in Virginia Beach - This training seminar is being offered by the VA Department of Fire Programs, the VA Fire and Life Safety Coalition and Tidewater Fire Educators' Network and is for all persons involved with any aspect of the Juvenile Firesetter issue. Our goal, through this training, is to unify Virginia's data collection in reference to this growing problem. Training will include hands-on data programming, and innovative methods of gathering and utilizing statistics, as well as an overview of a successful mentoring program.

http://www.vahealth.org/civp/unintentionalinjury/vflsc%20training%20seminaremail.pdf

News and Information

¨      New Resource for Schools

Safe Schools and Safe Students in Virginia is a resource for administrators, guidance counselors, teachers, school nurses, coaches, and all other school personnel who influence the safety of students and school staff. This resource guide addresses eight components of school and student safety. It provides recommendations for keeping students safe while they are in school, on school grounds, on their way to or from school, and involved in school-sponsored activities. It also provides information on Virginia and national resources to assist schools in achieving these safety goals.

Visit http://www.injuryfreeschoolsva.org  to download and order free copies.

This guide was developed by the Virginia Department of Health's Division of Injury and Violence Prevention, with input from the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, in order to provide schools with a useful, up-to-date reference on school and student safety.

¨      Health Providers Surveyed on Their Practices Relating to Intimate Partner Violence

Earlier this year, the Division of Injury and Violence Prevention (DIVP) conducted a survey to assess Virginia health care providers' knowledge, attitudes and behaviors concerning intimate partner violence.  More than 2,000 providers in a variety of settings responded to the survey and DIVP has compiled and published a report of the results.  

Highlights of the survey report include:

·        64.8 percent of Virginia's health care providers reported not using IPV screening questions with any of their patients;

·        75.0 percent reported that, to their knowledge, their workplace did not have any written guidelines regarding IPV;

·        90.0 percent report never having been trained in IPV prevention; and

·        Although 1 in 4 providers indicated that either they or someone close to them had been a victim of IPV, most estimated IPV prevalence in their practice to be "rare" or "very rare."

The full report of Virginia's 2006 Intimate Partner Violence Health Care Provider Survey is on the web at http://www.vahealth.org/civp/projectradarva  . It contains detailed information about the survey, its results, specialty and practice-specific data and recommendations for policy, procedures and education.  For more information about the survey or to request a printed copy, contact Laurie Crawford, Medical Outreach Coordinator, at 804-864-7705 or laurie.crawford@...  

¨     Choose Respect: CDC nationwide campaign

According to the CDC, one out of four 8th and 9th graders reports being a victim of dating violence. Even more startling, many adolescents do not grasp the seriousness of dating abuse. CDC research shows that a majority of young people think that emotional and verbal abuse are "normal" parts of relationships. To increase positive relationship behaviors and healthy relationships among young people ages 11-14, CDC's Division of Violence Prevention is launching a nationwide campaign, Choose Respect. Choose Respect messages are supported by online games and interactive learning tools, television and radio spots, activity ideas, streaming video clips and clickable quizzes that inspire adolescents to think about choosing respect. This innovative mix of interactive learning tools also includes Causing Pain, a 30 minute video with compelling stories of real teens who have experienced dating abuse. For schools, the Choose Respect website include a teacher's guide, a community action kit including a section for schools, a downloadable 13 minute video, sample radio and TV PSAs, and fact sheets. These materials may be reviewed at www.chooserespect.org

¨      Child Safety Seat Check Events

VDH has partnered or coordinated four (4) seat check events since March 2006. The first was in Warrenton at the Community Health Fair where we checked 35 child safety seats; all were incorrectly installed or out of date. We worked with the Woodlake Stroller Moms group in Chesterfield in May to set up an inspection event for the group. Fort Lee Police came out and assisted that day in checking twelve (12) seats, ten (10) of those were installed incorrectly. In May, we also worked with Public Health Nursing students from Bon Secours Hospital to set up two events in Hanover. The first event was held on a Wednesday where we checked twelve (12) seats. Fort Lee Police came out and helped with the event, all of the seats were installed incorrectly or out of date. The second half of the event was held on a Saturday where we checked six (6) seats, 5 of which were incorrectly installed. In June we were invited to Tazewell County to assist Richland's Police Department with a community health fair. The event was great; seats were donated by local businesses to be given away throughout the day. The visitors registered for prizes when they arrived and the winners had the seats installed by us. We installed and inspected thirty-two (32) seats that day. To view the calendar of upcoming child safety seat check events visit http://www.safetyseatva.org

¨      Permanent Safety Seat Fit Stations

We would like to welcome Stafford County Fire and Rescue, Stafford County Sheriff's Department, and Fort Lee Police to the Virginia Department of Health's Permanent Child Safety Seat Inspection Station list. Fort Lee has assisted with numerous seat check events in the past few months, they do an excellent job and we are excited to have them aboard. To view the full list of permanent safety seat fit stations visit http://www.safetyseatva.org

¨      2006 Injury Prevention Symposium a Huge Success!

The Virginia Department of Health, Division of Injury and Violence Prevention and the Virginia Injury Community Planning Group hosted the first Injury Prevention Symposium in Virginia,"Safe Spaces: Injury Prevention through Home and Community Design." The symposium was held at the Crowne Plaza in Richmond, Virginia, on June 13 & June 14, 2006. The Injury Prevention Symposium was an opportunity for individuals interested in unintentional injury prevention to enhance their understanding of how injury impacts daily life in Virginia, to learn about innovative injury prevention projects, and to participate in the development of Virginia's Statewide Unintentional Injury Prevention Plan. More than 100 professionals, advocates and survivors representing the entire spectrum of unintentional injury from prevention to care and treatment attended and participated in the event. Symposium topics included:

o       The Burden of Injury in Virginia,

o       The Epidemiology of Traumatic Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Fractures, Poisoning, Burns and Asphyxiation,

o       Implementing Public Health Projects,

o       The Statewide Injury Prevention Plan, and

o       Showcase of Local and National Unintentional Injury Prevention Projects.

Visit http://www.vahealth.org/civp/VIPP/index.asp  to learn more about the symposium and to view the presentations that were given during the event.

About the Division of Injury & Violence Prevention

The Division of Injury & Violence Prevention, formerly known as the Center for Injury & Violence Prevention (CIVP), is a division of the Virginia Department of Health that focuses on the prevention of unintentional, intentional and self-inflicted injuries. Our strategies for prevention include research & assessment, policy development, training and community education, promotion and dissemination of safety devices, public information and funding of local projects. Visit www.vahealth.org/civp  

Contact Us

Virginia Department of Health

Division of Injury and Violence Prevention

109 Governor Street, 8th Floor

Richmond, VA 23219

Phone: 804-864-7732 or 1-800-832-8333

Fax: 804-864-7748

Email: civp@...

If you would like to be added to DIVP's email distribution list so that you get the E-Newsletter directly, please email civp@...   with "DIVP E-Newsletter" in the subject line.