DESPITE widespread media attention and public outcry about alcohol-fuelled assaults and deadly king hits in recent years, many young men still think they’re invincible and can’t get hurt in such violent attacks.
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That is the message from Illawarra brain injury access program Headway, which is working with agencies around the country to draw attention to the devastating consequences of alcohol-fuelled violence.
Headway manager Robyn Russell said highly publicised assaults such as the death of teenager Thomas Kelly in Kings Cross last year, were “just the tip of the iceberg” when it came to attacks that caused brain injury.
“The incidence [of brain injuries caused by assaults] is greater in the male population, and in people under about 35,” she said.
Brain Injury Awareness Week, which runs until Sunday, is focusing on assault-related brain injuries because of the ever-increasing number of incidents.
“We want people to realise that doing something on impulse can have lifelong effects, because the person they injure will never be the same as before.”