Injuries on school playgrounds have increased in recent times despite widespread adoption of playground equipment standards published by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The cost of increased insurance premiums and a moral obligation to protect children on a playground while at recess increase liability exposures for a school district. This study explored the behaviors exhibited by elementary school children and playground monitors and the subsequent occurrence of increased or decreased risk potential. The project utilized analytic induction and unobtrusive observations to observe critical incidents that occurred during recess. The behaviors of the children and the monitors were targeted to produce procedures for monitoring playground safety. The study concluded that a four prong playground safety initiative be implemented for proper management of playground behaviors. The recommended behavior based approach consists of pre-usage inspections for general maintenance and hazards, playground monitor training for hazard recognition, playground behavior evaluations, and assignment of monitor duties to include one \"play leader.\"
","abstract_html":"<p>Injuries on school playgrounds have increased in recent times despite widespread adoption of playground equipment standards published by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The cost of increased insurance premiums and a moral obligation to protect children on a playground while at recess increase liability exposures for a school district. This study explored the behaviors exhibited by elementary school children and playground monitors and the subsequent occurrence of increased or decreased risk potential. The project utilized analytic induction and unobtrusive observations to observe critical incidents that occurred during recess. The behaviors of the children and the monitors were targeted to produce procedures for monitoring playground safety. The study concluded that a four prong playground safety initiative be implemented for proper management of playground behaviors. The recommended behavior based approach consists of pre-usage inspections for general maintenance and hazards, playground monitor training for hazard recognition, playground behavior evaluations, and assignment of monitor duties to include one "play leader." </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Dotson, Ronald Gene"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Doctor of Education (EdD)","degree_level":"Doctoral's","degree_discipline":"Educational Leadership and Policy Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:19Z","subjects":["behavior based","playground behaviors","playground hazard recognition","play leader","recess","school playgrounds","Educational Administration and Supervision"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2013 Ronald Gene Dotson"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/162","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Dotson, Ronald Gene"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Doctoral's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["behavior based","playground behaviors","playground hazard recognition","play leader","recess","school playgrounds","Educational Administration and Supervision"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2013 Ronald Gene Dotson"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/162"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Injuries on school playgrounds have increased in recent times despite widespread adoption of playground equipment standards published by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The cost of increased insurance premiums and a moral obligation to protect children on a playground while at recess increase liability exposures for a school district. This study explored the behaviors exhibited by elementary school children and playground monitors and the subsequent occurrence of increased or decreased risk potential. The project utilized analytic induction and unobtrusive observations to observe critical incidents that occurred during recess. The behaviors of the children and the monitors were targeted to produce procedures for monitoring playground safety. The study concluded that a four prong playground safety initiative be implemented for proper management of playground behaviors. The recommended behavior based approach consists of pre-usage inspections for general maintenance and hazards, playground monitor training for hazard recognition, playground behavior evaluations, and assignment of monitor duties to include one \"play leader.\"
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Understanding Playground Behaviors And Injury Potential To Elementary Children"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Dotson, Ronald Gene"],"dc:description.abstract":["Injuries on school playgrounds have increased in recent times despite widespread adoption of playground equipment standards published by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The cost of increased insurance premiums and a moral obligation to protect children on a playground while at recess increase liability exposures for a school district. This study explored the behaviors exhibited by elementary school children and playground monitors and the subsequent occurrence of increased or decreased risk potential. The project utilized analytic induction and unobtrusive observations to observe critical incidents that occurred during recess. The behaviors of the children and the monitors were targeted to produce procedures for monitoring playground safety. The study concluded that a four prong playground safety initiative be implemented for proper management of playground behaviors. The recommended behavior based approach consists of pre-usage inspections for general maintenance and hazards, playground monitor training for hazard recognition, playground behavior evaluations, and assignment of monitor duties to include one \"play leader.\"
"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/162"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2013 Ronald Gene Dotson"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["behavior based","playground behaviors","playground hazard recognition","play leader","recess","school playgrounds","Educational Administration and Supervision"],"dc:title":["Understanding Playground Behaviors And Injury Potential To Elementary Children"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Doctoral's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:19Z"}