Your Community

National Public Health Week

Friday: Your Community

You can protect yourself, your family and community by taking action, both big and small, to prevent injury and violence. Here are just a few examples:

Start small...

• Join your Neighborhood Watch program.
• Work with school leaders to implement school violence and bullying programs.
• Keep weapons in a locked and safe place, away from children.
• Model respectful communication in your interactions with children, family members and in the community.
• Be a caring adult in the life of a young person.
• Call the police or local child protective services if you suspect an older adult has been abused or a child neglected.

Think big…

• Work with community leaders to establish a community safety task force.
• Work with local authorities to initiate violence intervention and prevention efforts.
• Develop a suicide prevention program that encourages community members to inquire and respond to potential suicide situations.
• Work with local officials to ensure access to services for youth and families living in communities most impacted by violence.
• Participate in programs that improve parent-child relationships and provide parents with social support.
• Write a letter to the editor of your local paper that stresses the importance of safety and injury prevention during NPHW and beyond.

There is much more you can do to prevent injuries beyond these actions. Raise awareness of safety and injury prevention within your community during National Public Health Week. You can help make your community a safer and healthier place to live.