INJURY CONTROL RESEARCH IN PEDIATRIC PSYCHOLOGY - A COMMENTARY AND A PROPOSAL

Over the years, the Journal of Pediatric Psychology has published a nu mber of articles related to the problem of childhood injury. It has be en stated repeatedly that the amount of research in this area is small relative to the magnitude of the problem. The journal published a spe cial issue on Health Promotion and Problem Prevention in Pediatric Psy chology in 1986, with over half of the articles related to injury and safety (Roberts, 1986), In 1990, a task force was appointed by the Soc iety of Pediatric Psychology to consider the problem of nonintentinal injuries. Its report was published (Finney et al., 1993), along with a second special section of the journal devoted to nonintentional injur ies (Roberts, 1993). Thus, the present special section on injury contr ol might be thought of as a third attempt of the Society to ''jump sta rt'' this research area.