Trends in urban violence: a comparison of accident department and police records.
AI Summary
Key Findings
Abstract
Police crime statistics and crime survey data are known to be poor indicators of levels of violence in society. Longitudinal investigations of assault injury have not been carried out in accident and emergency departments hitherto, but may provide an accurate perspective of trends in violence. The attendance of assault patients at a city centre accident and emergency department was compared with 'wounding against the person' recorded by the police between 1973 and 1990. Woundings recorded by the police increased consistently throughout the study period whereas the number of assault patients did not increase between 1977 and 1987. From 1975 to 1990, police statistics showed a 9-fold and accident and emergency data a 6-fold increase. Both data sets showed substantial overall increases in violence after 1987, and a decrease in 1979. Further epidemiological studies of violence are necessary.
Affiliation
Department of Oral Surgery, Medicine & Pathology, University of Wales College of Medicine, Dental School, Heath Park, Cardiff.
External References
- PubMed ID:
- 8433313
Comments
Sign in or create a free account to join the conversation.
Sign in to commentBe the first to comment.