The study is divided into two parts. First, the basic features of criminal assaults are described as portrayed in police statistics, and trends in official assault statistics are compared with data from victim surveys and statistics on other violent crimes. Second, the factors that may influence the volume of assaults over time are examined, including the level of alcohol consumption, migration trends, and economic influences. Police data show that from 1950 to the mid-1960's the number of assaults either remained stable or declined; however, near the end of the 1960's, assaults began to increase. Since that time, the increase has stabilized, with some minor exceptions. Victim surveys conducted since 1980, however, provide a different picture of the trend in violent crime. According to police data, assault offenses have sharply increased, but victim surveys show a decline or stabilization in assault offenses. One explanation for this is that although violent crimes have not increased, an increasing number are coming to the attention of the police. Apparently, for people involved in alcohol and drug abuse, the number of violent victimizations has increased. There is convincing evidence of the connection between alcohol consumption and violence at the individual level, but it is not clear that the same connection is evident at the macro level. The volume of assault offenses is also connected with changes in the economy, as the volume of assault offenses has fluctuated with economic cycles. Overall, this study shows connections between the volume of assault offenses and the public consumption of alcohol, the gross domestic product, private consumption expenditure, migration, the unemployment rate, and the clearance rate of assaults. 8 tables, 29 figures, and 49 references