O-14 Examining the context within which interpersonal violence injuries occur in the three country sites – The Bahamas, Barbados and Jamaica.

Objective: To examine the context within which interpersonal violence injuries occur in the three country sites – The Bahamas, Barbados and Jamaica of the Caribbean Firearms Study

Methods:  In 2022 through a collaborative effort by Small Arms Survey, CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) and the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre the Caribbean Firearms Study was conducted. Data was obtained through a retrospective review of 298 medical records of persons who received injuries as a result of interpersonal violence in the Bahamas, Barbados and Jamaica from 2019.

Results:  Of the 298 medical records which were reviewed, 101, 100 and 97 were from the Bahamas, Barbados and Jamaica respectively. When stratified by gender the results showed that interpersonal violence injuries were higher among males victims 84%  (251 cases) than that of female victims (16%). Fighting/argument was the context of the incident with the highest percentage of interpersonal violence injuries in the Bahamas and Barbados - 60% and 37% respectively and second highest in Jamaica- 35% of cases. Robbery also featured among common causes across countries, being seen in 3% of cases in the Bahamas and Jamaica and 12% in Barbados. In a high percentage of cases, the context was not documented, 28% in Barbados and the Bahamas and 50.5% in Jamaica.

Conclusion:  These findings align with previous studies that show in most cases the contributing factor to interpersonal violence injuries is usually that of fighting/ an argument. By understanding the context in which these incidents occur, the public health approach can be geared toward developing conflict resolution strategies to combat the rising incidence of interpersonal violence in the Caribbean. These findings also provide implications for future research.