Common Back-to-School Injuries
According to School Nurse, the first two months of school are the most treacherous for kids – at least as far as getting injured is concerned.
Fall sports are getting started again, after a summer free of organized school activities; kids are excited to see all their friends and act extra rambunctious on the playground during recess and lunch; and most of all, the idea of getting hurt is probably the last thing on any kid’s mind.
Of course the chance of personal injury varies depending on the age of kids. School Nurse says of injuries that happen at school, most are in the middle school/junior high age range. Here are some stats:
- 46% of at-school injuries occur at the middle school/junior high level
- 39% are among elementary school kids
- 16% of school injuries happen in high school
At least we can see that kids are getting smarter as they grow up! As for how/where injuries occur, here’s the deal:
- On the playground: 59%
- During lunch: 27%
- Athletics/gym class: 10%
- Miscellaneous: 31%
To help your kids stay safe at school, remind them to be careful and not play too rough with others. When it comes to sports, sometimes those injuries are harder to avoid – no matter how carefully an athlete plays.
If your school district has an abnormally high rate of injury among students, lobby for safer, newer playground equipment and more education about stretching before exercise and properly using equipment.
