Prevention of dog bites: Evaluation of a brief educational intervention program for preschool children

Abstract

AbstractDog bites are an underestimated societal problem. Victims suffer injuries, both physical and emotional, that sometimes end in death, and the economic cost to the community is high. The most frequent victims are children, many of whom are bitten at home. Current interventions, primarily aimed at the control of dogs in public areas, appear unlikely to reduce the incidence of dog bites within this group. In this study, parents' beliefs about their children's behavior around familiar and strange dogs were investigated using a questionnaire. The impact of a brief educational dog safety program on 192 kindergarten children (M = 4.68 years of age) was then evaluated. The questionnaire data revealed that many children engage in unsafe behaviors around dogs, and that parents are largely unaware of the dangers associated with such behaviors. The dog safety program resulted in a significant increase in the ability of children to identify high risk situations for up to 4 weeks, with the benefits being even greater in those children whose parents were also given information regarding safe behaviors around dogs. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.