title: Trends in community violence in England and Wales 2005-2009.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Injury records from Emergency Departments (EDs) have been studied over the last decade as part of the work of the National Violence Surveillance Network (NVSN) and provide information about local, regional and national violence levels and trends in England and Wales. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate overall, gender, age-specific and regional trends in community violence in England and Wales from an ED perspective from January 2005 to December 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  Violence-related injury data were collected prospectively in a stratified sample of 77 EDs (Types 1, 3 and 4) in the nine Government Office Regions in England and in Wales. All 77 EDs were recruited on the basis that they had implemented and continued to comply with the provisions of the 1998 Data Protection Act and Caldicott guidance. Attendance date, age and gender of patients who reported injury in violence were identified using assault-related attendance codes, specified at the local level. Time series statistical methods were used to detect both regional and national trends.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total 221,673 (163,384 males: 74%) violence-related attendances were identified. Overall estimated annual injury rate was 6.5 per 1000 resident population (males 9.8 and females 3.4 per 1000). Violence affecting males and females decreased significantly in England and Wales over the 5-year period, with an overall estimated annual decrease of 3% (95% CI: 1.8-4.1%, p<0.05). Attendances decreased significantly for both genders across four out of the five age groups studied. Attendances were found to be highest during the months of May and July and lowest in February. Substantial differences in violence-related ED attendances were identified at the regional level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From this ED perspective overall violence in England and Wales decreased over the period 2005-2009 but increased in East Midlands, London and South West regions. Since 2006, overall trends according to Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), police and ED measures were similar, though CSEW and ED measures reflect far greater numbers of violent incidents than police data. Causes of decreases in violence in regions need to be identified and shared with regions where violence increased.
authors.affiliation: Violence and Society Research Group, School of Dentistry, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XY, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Vaseekaran
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sivarajasingam
authors.affiliation: Violence and Society Research Group, School of Dentistry, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XY, United Kingdom. Electronic address: pagena@cardiff.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Page
authors.affiliation: Cardiff Business School, Aberconway Building, Colum Drive, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3EU, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: Cardiff Business School, Aberconway Building, Colum Drive, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3EU, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Kent
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.affiliation: Violence and Society Research Group, School of Dentistry, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XY, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Violence and Society Research Group, School of Dentistry, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XY, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shepherd
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003415:Crime / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D033181:Information Dissemination; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000639:trends*; D011050:Policy Making; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011634:Public Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
keywords: Accident and emergency; Injury; Seasonality; Trends; Violence