title: Reducing youth violence related to student parties: Findings from a community intervention project in Stockholm.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During the spring of 2007, the police reported a marked increase in violence and binge drinking related to high school student graduation parties on weekday nights at restaurants in Stockholm city. This spurred a multi-component community intervention project to reduce these problems.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to evaluate the impact of the intervention on youth-related violence on weekday nights in 2008-2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  The outcome measure entailed the number of violence-related emergency room visits on weekday nights (10:00 pm-6:00 am) by adolescents aged 18-20 years. The study period was 1 April-31 May, which is when most student graduation parties took place. The data covered the years 2005-2010, with three data points before the intervention, and three after the intervention was introduced. Because the intervention was expected to apply to weekdays only, the control series involved a corresponding indicator pertaining to weekend nights (10:00 pm-6:00 am). The intervention effect was assessed by means of difference-in-differences estimation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The estimated intervention effect according to the difference-in-differences estimation models was a statistically significant 23% reduction of violence among young people.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This type of intervention is a promising measure of preventing youth violence and deserves to be continued. Such continuation would also provide additional data required for a more conclusive assessment.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet/Stockholm County Council Health Care Provision, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramstedt
authors.forename: Håkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Leifman
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sundin
authors.forename: Thor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Norström
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012147:Restaurants; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Sweden; binge drinking; community intervention; student parties; violence