Inflicted skeletal trauma: the relationship of perpetrators to their victims

OBJECTIVE: Although inflicted skeletal trauma is a very common presentation of child abuse, little is known about the perpetrators of inflicted skeletal injuries. Studies exist describing perpetrators of inflicted traumatic brain injury, but no study has examined characteristics of perpetrators of inflicted skeletal trauma. METHODS: All cases of suspected child physical abuse evaluated by the child abuse evaluation teams at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (January 1996 to August 2000) and at the Children's Hospital at Denver (January 1996 to December 1999) were reviewed for the presence of fractures. All children with inflicted fractures were entered into the study, and demographic data, investigative data, and identity of perpetrators were collected. RESULTS: There were a total of 630 fractures for 194 patients. The median number of fractures per patient was 2, and the maximum was 31. Sixty-three percent of children presented with at least one additional abusive injury other than the fracture(s). Perpetrators were identified in 79% of the cases. Nearly 68% of the perpetrators were male; 45% were the biological fathers. The median age of the children abused by males (4.5 months) significantly differed from the median age of those abused by females (10 months) (p=.003). CONCLUSION: In the cases where a perpetrator of inflicted fractures could be identified, the majority were men, most commonly the biological fathers. Children injured by men were younger than those injured by women.     

Exercise in the cold

Exercising in the cold is not an attractive option for many athletes; however, defining what represents cold is difficult and is not standard for all events. If the exercise is prolonged and undertaken at a moderate intensity, environmental temperatures around 11°C can be an advantage. If the intensity is lower than this value and the individual does not generate sufficient metabolic heat to offset the effects imposed by the cold environment, then temperatures of 11°C can be detrimental to performance. Similarly, when the performance involves dynamic explosive contractions, then a cold ambient temperature can have a negative influence. Additional factors such as the exercising medium, air or water, and the anthropometric characteristics of the athlete will also make a difference to the strategies that can be adopted to offset any negative impact of a cold environment on performance. To plan for a performance in the cold requires an understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the physiological response. This review attempts to outline these mechanisms and how they can be manipulated to optimize performance.     

Conducting Indigenous research in Western knowledge spaces: aligning theory and methodology

Walking simultaneously in two worlds as an Indigenous researcher, navigating Indigenous and Western epistemologies/methodologies can have its challenges. Indigenous methodologies have become an important element of qualitative research and have been increasingly taken up by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers. Indigenous methodologies seek to ensure that the research is culturally safe and culturally respectful through recognition of Indigenous worldviews, respect, and accountability. It is no longer research on or about Indigenous people, rather it is becoming research for and with Indigenous people. In this paper, we reflect on the experiences of an Indigenous researcher working with a non-Indigenous supervisor within an overarching Western theoretical framework of poststructuralism while also using Indigenous methodologies. We discuss the tensions and points of connection that emerged in the research design process. We suggest that Indigenous and Western epistemologies/methodologies do not have to be used to the exclusion of each other; they can be used effectively to complement and support each other.