Green Cross: Application for analyzing School injuries

Unintentional injuries are a major cause of untimely deaths among children and adolescents. Violence and injuries in the schools have raised the need to collect the injury data routinely and to find ways to analyze the potential risks of the near-miss cases. The aim of this study is to explore the injury data collection method piloted with the Green Cross software and to describe the characteristics of the school injuries (n=88). The qualitative data consisted of user-interviews and data reports. As the main result of this study, the Green Cross software provides a decent way to monitor the injuries in the school context in such a way that the accidents, incidents, injuries and near-miss cases become more visible. A novel finding was that many school injuries were unpredictable, connected to human factor issues, persons acting against norms and regulations or using structures or products in a way they are not supposed to be used

Skills and knowledge as a basis for safety competence in teacher education curriculum

Enhancing the safety culture in school context sets new challenges to prospective teachers, their need for safety skills, knowledge and competence. Based on the latest studies, the paper describes the factors of safety culture in the educational institutions. These factors are risks, processes, learning environments, learning, normative guidance, actors, target groups and tools. As a case study, further analysis is provided about the factor of learning. The data is teacher education curriculum text of one Finnish teacher education unit. In the content analysis, the data was first classified with themes in the context of safety. During the second round of analysis, special attention was paid to the verbs. Further, two groups, skills (S) and knowledge (K) were established. The analysis showed that there were more knowledge based (K) than skills based (S) meaning units. As the university studies are based on theoretical issues, this is understandable. Based on the analysis, it seems that the curriculum describes safety one-sided as the social issues and the interaction were in focus in both groups, knowledge and skills. This could mean that safety is valued in the teacher education. However, the results raise some concerns, whether the future teachers are able to provide decent education for their pupils in the various safety and security areas, such as traffic safety, injuries or occupational safety, or whether they are able to respond in the sudden crisis situations during the school day, for instance in case of violence or fire.Enhancing the safety culture in school context sets new challenges to prospective teachers, their need for safety skills, knowledge and competence. Based on the latest studies, the paper describes the factors of safety culture in the educational institutions. These factors are risks, processes, learning environments, learning, normative guidance, actors, target groups and tools. As a case study, further analysis is provided about the factor of learning. The data is teacher education curriculum text of one Finnish teacher education unit. In the content analysis, the data was first classified with themes in the context of safety. During the second round of analysis, special attention was paid to the verbs. Further, two groups, skills (S) and knowledge (K) were established. The analysis showed that there were more knowledge based (K) than skills based (S) meaning units. As the university studies are based on theoretical issues, this is understandable. Based on the analysis, it seems that the curriculum describes safety one-sided as the social issues and the interaction were in focus in both groups, knowledge and skills. This could mean that safety is valued in the teacher education. However, the results raise some concerns, whether the future teachers are able to provide decent education for their pupils in the various safety and security areas, such as traffic safety, injuries or occupational safety, or whether they are able to respond in the sudden crisis situations during the school day, for instance in case of violence or fire

Onnettomuuksien ehkäisyn laatutekijät Suomen pelastuslaitoksilla

Onnettomuuksien ehkäisyn päätavoite on muuttaa ihmisten käyttäytymistä siten, että tapaturmat ja niiden aiheuttamat vahingot vähenevät. Paloturvallisuuden osalta tavoitteena on lisäksi tuottaa ja jakaa tietoa siten, että kansalaiset tunnistavat riskit ja toimivat tarkoituksenmukaisesti hätätilanteessa. Aihe on ajankohtainen,sillä pelastustoimen onnettomuuksien ehkäisyn toimintaohjelma on juuri valmistunut.Pelastustoimelle on määritelty alueittain määrällisiä ja yksiselitteisiä turvallisuusviestintätavoitteita. Tämä on saattanut johtaa tilanteeseen, jossa turvallisuusviestintätoiminnan laatutekijät ovat menettäneet merkityksensä. Artikkelissa kuvataan turvallisuusviestintään liittyviä viimeaikaisia tutkimuksia ja niiden merkityksiä turvallisuusviestinnän laatutekijöinä. Sellaisina esitetään tässä tutkitun tiedon perusteella riskiperusteisuus, välineet, kohteet, tyytyväisyys, normiohjaus, prosessit sekä oppimisympäristötja oppiminen.</p

Lasten luvaton tuli – perusasteen oppilaat sytyttelijöinä

Tutkimus lasten ja nuorten luvattomasta tulen käsittelystä perustuu näkemykseen siitä, että ilmiöön voidaan puuttua tehokkaasti interventioin, jos toiminta havaitaan ajoissa. Ilmiötä sävyttää teon salailu ja neutralisaatio eli vähättely. Tulella tehtyjen tuhotöiden lisääntymistä ja muuttumista aggressiivisemmaksi voidaan ennalta ehkäistä ongelman tunnistamisella ja reagoimalla lasten häiriökäytökseen. Lasten ja nuorten luvatonta tulen käyttöä ei ole tutkittu Suomessa aiemmin. Työn ensimmäisessä osiossa tarkastellaan luvattomaan tulen käsittelyyn liittyviä teorioita (esim. Fineman 1980, 1995), kansainvälisiä näkökohtia, teonpiirteitä ja yksilön sisäisiä prosesseja. Lisäksi tarkastellaan perheen, koulun ja ystäväpiirin osuutta ilmiöön, niin sanotun Oregonin mallin mukaisesti (Oregon Treatment Strategies Task Force 1996, 16 – 47). Työn empiirisessä osiossa ilmiötä ja sen ilmenemistä lasten ja nuorten keskuudessa kuvataan oppilaiden, vanhempien ja opettajien näkökulmasta. Tutkimukseen osallistui 661 oppilasta perusasteen toiselta, viidenneltä ja kahdeksannelta luokalta, 341 vanhempaa ja 22 koulun työntekijää. Oppilaiden ja vanhempien aineisto kerättiin survey-tutkimuksella ja opettajat tutkittiin haastattelumenetelmällä. Lasten luvaton tulen käyttö on yleisempää kuin aiemmin on luultu. Vielä viidenteen luokkaan mennessä luvaton tulen käsittely oli yleisempää pojille kuin tytöille, mutta murrosikään tultaessa sukupuolierot vähenivät. Pojista 37 % ja tytöistä 25 % raportoi käsitelleensä tulta luvattomasti. Kaikkiaan kolmasosa oppilaista raportoi leikkineensä tulella. Yleisin tulen sytyttelypaikka oli oma koti tai kodin lähiympäristö, josta tulentekovälineet yleisimmin hankittiin pyytämällä tai ottamalla. Luvattomasti tulta käsitelleet oppilaat olivat häirinneet oppitunteja. Tilastollisesti merkitsevimmin runsasta luvatonta tulen käsittelyä ennusti omien tulentekovälineiden omistaminen ja häiriökäyttäytyminen koulussa. Vanhemmat eivät pitäneet lastensa tulen käyttöä merkittävänä vaarana. Aikuisten suhtautumista lasten luvattomaan tulen käyttöön sävytti tekojen vähättely eli neutralisaatio; vähättelyilmiö oli yhteinen sekä lapsille itselleen, vanhemmille että viranomaisille. Kasvattajilla ei ollut käytössään tehokkaita interventiomenetelmiä ongelman ratkaisemiseen. Viranomaisyhteistyöstä raportoitiin vain vähän. Pelastusviranomaisia ei juurikaan käytetty lasten luvattoman tulen käsittelyn interventiossa. Interventiota sävytti aikuisten käsitysten mukaan tapauskohtaisuus ja sattumanvaraisuus.Children: Playing with Fire -comprehensive school students as juvenile fire setters The present study of children’s and adolescents’ unsupervised fire play activity is based on the view that their behaviour can be remedied by effective interventions preceded by an early identification of the activity. The phenomenon is characterized by the concealment and belittlement of the activity. The increase in the number and aggressivity of arson crimes can be prevented by identifying the problem and by reacting to children’s misbehaviour. To date, children’s and adolescents’ unsupervised involvement with fire or fire setting behaviour has not been studied in Finland. The first part of the study discusses the relevant theories (e.g. Fineman 1980, 1995), international dimensions, aspects of the activity and the individual’s inner responses. In addition, the role of the family, school and friends is studied (see Oregon Treatment Strategies Task Force 1996, 16 – 47). The empirical part of the study describes the phenomenon and its manifestations among children and adolescents from the viewpoints of the students, parents and teachers. The study consists of 661 students in grades two, five and eight in the comprehensive school, 341 parents and 22 school staff members. A survey was used to collect student and parent data and the teacher data were collected through interviews. Children’s unsupervised involvement in fire is more common than has been assumed up to the present. Up to grade five, boys were more often involved in unsupervised fire play but gender differences decreased with the onset of puberty. 37 % of the boys and 25 % of the girls reported that they had played with fire. In total, one third of the pupils reported that they had played with fire. The most common context for fire setting was the home or its close environment, and matches and lighters were also either asked from a family member or taken from the home. The students involved in unsupervised fire setting activity had also generally misbehaved in class. Unsupervised involvement in fire setting activity was statistically significantly predicted by ownership of the fire setting equipment and disruptive behaviour at school. The parents did not regard their children’s fire play as a considerable danger. Their attitudes to the children’s involvement with fire were characterized by belittlement of the activity. In general, such belittlement was common among the children themselves, the parents and authorities. The educators did not have effective methods of intervention at their disposal for solving the problem. Reports on collaboration with authorities were scarce. Emergency authorities were rarely involved in interventions of children’s unsupervised involvement with fire. According to the adults, the interventions varied on a case-by-case basis and were characterized by randomness.Siirretty Doriast

Green Cross: Application for analyzing School injuries

Unintentional injuries are a major cause of untimely deaths among children and adolescents. Violence and injuries in the schools have raised the need to collect the injury data routinely and to find ways to analyze the potential risks of the near-miss cases. The aim of this study is to explore the injury data collection method piloted with the Green Cross software and to describe the characteristics of the school injuries (n=88). The qualitative data consisted of user-interviews and data reports. As the main result of this study, the Green Cross software provides a decent way to monitor the injuries in the school context in such a way that the accidents, incidents, injuries and near-miss cases become more visible. A novel finding was that many school injuries were unpredictable, connected to human factor issues, persons acting against norms and regulations or using structures or products in a way they are not supposed to be used. </div

Rakennusten paloturvallisuus

René Hagen and Louis Witloks:<br /

Rohkeutta koleran aikaan – epidemiologian synnynsijoilla

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Vanha Rauma kulttuurises tiäristeykses

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Students of an International Degree Programme Go Local: Exploring the Interactions as Reflected by Friendship Families

This study examines the interactions and communication between a group of African university students and a local Finnish community, as discussed by local friendship family members. Studies show that ensuring the well-being of international students and their study success is challenging in a foreign country. Students tend to remain in their own groups, and interaction with native students and local society may be minimal. To support international students’ adjustment, the university unit in question organised volunteer family support. The data consist of interviews with eleven participants. Interpretation of the data is based on the applied theoretical framework of cultural communication and various types of social and emotional support. The findings reveal that the local friendship families and adult friends had international backgrounds and were interested in international issues. The interaction was an evolving process with some difficulties in communication. The process included three main approaches: accepting the students as family members, introducing them to Finnish culture and providing them with emotional and instrumental support. When asked about communication with members of the local community, most participants described the students’ encounters with local residents as friendly and beneficial, but some also used the words ‘racism’ or ‘racist’ when describing certain situations. A local network is a flexible and versatile resource for supporting international students. The results indicate that friendship families could be used more effectively and better organised as part of the support programme for international students

Skills and knowledge as a basis for safety competence in teacher education curriculum

Enhancing the safety culture in school context sets new challenges to prospective teachers, their need for safety skills, knowledge and competence. Based on the latest studies, the paper describes the factors of safety culture in the educational institutions. These factors are risks, processes, learning environments, learning, normative guidance, actors, target groups and tools. As a case study, further analysis is provided about the factor of learning. The data is teacher education curriculum text of one Finnish teacher education unit. In the content analysis, the data was first classified with themes in the context of safety. During the second round of analysis, special attention was paid to the verbs. Further, two groups, skills (S) and knowledge (K) were established. The analysis showed that there were more knowledge based (K) than skills based (S) meaning units. As the university studies are based on theoretical issues, this is understandable. Based on the analysis, it seems that the curriculum describes safety one-sided as the social issues and the interaction were in focus in both groups, knowledge and skills. This could mean that safety is valued in the teacher education. However, the results raise some concerns, whether the future teachers are able to provide decent education for their pupils in the various safety and security areas, such as traffic safety, injuries or occupational safety, or whether they are able to respond in the sudden crisis situations during the school day, for instance in case of violence or fire.</p