The year 2023 ended with 104 deaths as a result of injuries to children and teenagers in accidents - at home, on the road and during leisure activities. This is according to a year-end report published by the Betrem organization for child safety.
Despite the difficult figure, the report shows that there has been a 341% decrease in the injury mortality rate over the last 15 years.
The three leading causes of death were traffic accidents (about 51%), drowning (about 17%), and suffocation (about 7%).
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The year 2023 was characterized by an increase in drowning cases (18 cases, compared to an average of 16 cases per year in 2019-2022). 72% of the drowning cases occurred in pools.
Another alarming increase relates to the share of Arab children and youth in accident deaths: 521% of all deaths were among children from Arab society, while they constitute a total of 241% of the child population in Israel.
This figure represents an increase compared to 2022, when the share of Arab children in mortality was 471%. Examining the average for the years 2019-2023, it appears that the risk of an Arab child being killed as a result of unintentional injury was 3 times higher than the risk of a Jewish child.
Despite the harsh statistics, in a long-term perspective, the trend indicates a 251% decrease in the mortality rate of Arab children over the past 17 years. However, the percentage decrease in mortality rates in Jewish society is higher, at 301%.
Of all Arab society, the Bedouin population in the South stands out for its high rate of accident deaths. According to the report, the risk of an Arab child living in the Southern District being killed in an accident is 2.6 times higher than that of an Arab child from other districts.
Looking at Jewish society, it appears that an ultra-Orthodox child under the age of 15 is at twice the risk of death in accidents compared to a non-Ultra-Orthodox Jew. This is a high figure compared to the past five years, when the mortality rate for ultra-Orthodox children was 1.7 times that of a non-Ultra-Orthodox child.
The report also shows that, considering place of residence, the risk of a child from the Southern District being killed as a result of unintentional injuries is 3.6 times higher than the risk of a child living in the Tel Aviv District. Looking at the last five years (2019-2023), approximately 301% of the children and youth killed as a result of unintentional injuries were from the Southern District, even though they only constitute approximately 161% of the population of children and youth in Israel.
Another segmentation examines the relationship between socioeconomic level and the risk of injury mortality. The report shows that approximately 581% of child injury deaths in 2019-2023 were among children and youth living in communities with low socioeconomic clusters, while their relative share in the population of children and youth in Israel is only approximately 261%.
Children and teenagers living in Arab communities with a low socio-economic level account for approximately 361% of deaths, while their share in the population of children and teenagers in Israel is only 161%.
The report also refers to age groups, and it shows that the age groups at highest risk of harm are teenagers aged 15-17 (a rate of 5.5 deaths per 100,000 teenagers), and toddlers aged birth to 4 (a rate of 5.3 deaths per 100,000 toddlers).
Orly Silvinger, CEO of the Beterm Organization for Child Safety: "104 children died this year in accidents, most of which could have been prevented. Accidents are not a given. Experience proves that a combination of a safe environment and infrastructure, along with the adoption of safe behavior habits, can save lives. It is in our hands to prevent accidents and keep our children safe. The Beterm Organization continues to operate in Arab society, through training, outreach, and community activities, with the goal of bringing about change and reducing the injuries of all Israeli children.".
