Stabbing

From ArticleWorld

Stabbing represents the penetration of the body by a sharp object, at close range. This is a common practice of assassins and murderers, but stabbing is not always intentional. However, untintentional stabbing is known to be quite rare, and seldom fatal. Stabbing involves the penetration of the object by a perpendicular movement, as opposed to the slashing or cutting, when the object is drawn across the victim's body, cutting its way through.

Stabbing can be fatal, as the victim can die of shock, acute blood loss resulting in hypovolemic shock, infection or damage of essential organs. Although in some cases the external bleeding may not be dangerous, the internal bleeding may be serious and medical attention should be seeked immediately.

Damage

Stabbing can cause various amounts of damage. The human skin is elastic enough to act as a self defense system, by closing back if a mild wound is caused by a sharp but thin object. However, if the object damages enough blood vessels, the skin cannot hold back too much blood. The elasticity of the skin is also inefficient in stopping internal bleedings which are often more dangerous than the superficial external bleedings.

Many people believe that the fuller acts against this mechanism of self defense, but it doesn't. In fact, it was originally design to lighten the weapon.

The treatment is the same as in any other kind of wounds: pressure should be applied after the wound is cleaned and disinfected. Recovery is spontaneous, and may take a variable amount of time.

Usage

Historically, stabbing was a common assasins' practice. Today, they are a common event in prisons, because knives are cheap to buy or manufacture and easy to hide. Juking is common today, which consists of the insertion of the sharp object and its rotation, to create a semicircular and dangerous wound.