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Violent Crime in Bristol: An Accident and Emergency Department Perspective

NCJ Number
125974
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 30 Issue: 3 Dated: (Summer 1990) Pages: 289-305
Author(s)
J Shepherd
Date Published
1990
Length
17 pages
Annotation
A victim survey was conducted in a large city center hospital accident and emergency department serving a well-defined population. Those most at risk of violence were similar to risk groups identified in previous crime surveys.
Abstract
Compared to the hospital cachement population, males aged 16-29 years, manual workers, and the unemployed were significantly over-represented. Males attended for treatment most often at the weekend between 11:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. while females attended more evenly through the week. The incidence of domestic violence was higher than that reported in the British Crime Surveys. Overall, numbers of victims increased with increasing hours of daylight during the first five months of the year. Most assaults took place in the street or in public houses and discotheques, though female victims were most often assaulted in their own home, usually after an argument. Accident and Emergency Department data are a useful source of information about violent crime. 10 tables, 2 figures, and 23 references. (Publisher abstract)