Home Curiosity Intentional vs. Unintentional Injury: Understanding the Differences

Intentional vs. Unintentional Injury: Understanding the Differences

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Did you know in 2016, 39.5 million people visited the doctor’s office for unintentional injuries? If you are wondering what the difference is between an intentional and unintentional injury, you are in the right place. We are going to talk more in-depth about the difference between both. 

Keep reading to learn the difference between both classifications. 

Intentional Injuries

An intentional injury is an injury that happens on purpose. Some common examples of intentional accidents include suicide, homicide, sexual assault, rape, domestic violence, etc. 

Violence makes up a large part of injury-related deaths in the United States. If you or someone you know lives in a violent home you might have experienced intentional injuries yourself.   

Unintentional Injury

This is the opposite of intentional injuries. They are injuries that happened by accident and not on purpose. A common unintentional injury example is falling down the stairs and getting hurt. Unintentional injuries are not limited to the home, they can happen anytime we step outside our home. 

Other examples include vehicle accidents, accidental poisoning, drowning, and burns. Any type of injury requires the attention of accident doctors to make sure that the injury is taken care of as soon as possible. This will avoid it from getting worst and ending up with the worst side effects. 

Injury Rates and Patterns

The types of injuries and how often they happen vary from country to country, and from rural to urban areas. For example, in urban areas, most injuries are due to traffic accidents, falls, poisonings from household chemicals, electrical appliances, and gadgets. In rural areas, injuries are usually from farming activities, drowning, and pesticide poisoning.

Other factors that affect injury rates and patterns include social factors. This includes things like family stress, life events like chronic disease in a family member, moving, or a hospitalization. 

Environment Factors

There are different environmental factors that affect some areas to have more injuries than in other areas. Home and school construction and furniture materials can cause unintentional injuries. Also, both kids and adults can get exposed to chemicals found in older homes and buildings. This can lead to unintentional poisoning. 

Urban areas are linked to road traffic injuries due to higher traffic and a higher population. Urban areas are also linked to higher air pollution exposure and higher noise levels which can lead to unintentional injuries as well. 

Work offices and buildings also pose a physical risk and chemical risk to younger workers that are not as careful and practice unsafe behaviors. 

Feeling Like an Injury Pro?

Now you are aware of the difference between an intentional and unintentional injury. If you know of anyone that is considering causing themselves an intentional injury in the form of suicide, make sure to not take that lightly. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline right away, to avoid a tragic accident.

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