[Child aggression by dogs: a preliminary study of risk factors]

Dog bites in children, although a genuine problem, have as yet been little studied in France from the viewpoint of epidemiology. A detailed study of 184 bites leading to management in a rabies control centre provided preliminary data on individual characteristics and behaviors of the dogs and children, as well as on features of the environment (place and time) that seem to be specifically associated with dog attacks on children. Increased insight into these risk factors should prove useful for the preventive information of children, parents, and dog owners.