Trends in community violence in England and Wales 1995-1998: An accident and emergency department perspective

Abstract

Objectives - To identify overall, seasonal, sex and age specific national trends in community violence from an accident and emergency (A&E) department of perspective. Design and setting - Prospective collection of national violence data from a stratified random sample of 33 A&E departments in England and Wales. Methods - Data were analysed for the three years from May 1995 to April 1998. Time series statistical methods were used to detect trends among those aged 0-10, 11-17, 18-30, 31-50 and 51 + years. Results - 121 475 assaults were identified: 89 533 (74%) men sustained injury. Forty five per cent were aged 18-30. The significant trends were an increase in injured women and those aged 31-50. Significant seasonal trends were identified for both sexes and all age groups: Peaks were found in July to September and troughs in February to April. Conclusions - There was no overall significant change in levels of violence between 1995-1998 from an A&E department perspective. Numbers of women injured and those aged 31-50 increased significantly. The incidence of injury sustained in community violence is biphasic: is highest during July to September and lowest during February to April. National A&E department violence suveillance provides a unique perspective.