BLAMING CHILDREN FOR CHILD PEDESTRIAN INJURIES

Pedestrian injuries are a leading cause of childhood mortality. In thi s paper a case study of a child pedestrian death is presented in order to examine the apportionment of responsibility for child pedestrian i njuries. The case presented illustrates how responsibility is located with the child, whilst structural contributors, in particular aspects of the transport system, are ignored. The strength and pervasiveness o f the ideology of victim blaming in child pedestrian injuries is expla ined by the special position that the road transport system holds in r elation to dominant economic interests. Victim blaming ideology is a s trategy that serves to maintain these interests at the expense and suf fering of children. Increased recognition of the political roots of th e ideology of victim blaming in child pedestrian injuries, by the sect ors of the community who suffer its consequences, will be an important step towards effective preventive action.