Childhood Family Income and Violent Victimization During Youth and Young Adulthood: Trends in Hospital Care During 1988-2007 in Finland

The purpose of the current study was to examine whether the relationship between childhood family income and risk of violent victimization has changed between 1988 and 2007 in Finland, as prior studies have suggested that socioeconomic differences in exposure to violence have increased during the recent decades. Existing studies have mostly relied on survey data, while such trends in hospital discharge data-a data source that covers the total population well and is not compromised by attrition or self-report bias-have not been thoroughly investigated before. The current study used register-based individual-level data from 1988-2007 (n = 283,505) to study changes in the relationship between childhood family income and victimization risk among 15- to 30-year-old Finnish men and women. We found a persisting difference in violent victimization between the top and bottom income quintiles for both men and women. While the estimates suggest that this difference has increased rather than decreased during the observation period particularly among women, this change was not statistically significant. These conclusions remain after controlling for the composition of income quintiles. Research could benefit from more extensive use of administrative hospital records in analyzing of the trends and causes of serious violence.

Factors influencing the prosecution of child physical abuse cases in a Swedish metropolitan area

AIM

To examine whether case characteristics of alleged child physical abuse, such as severity, influence criminal investigation procedures and judicial outcomes.

METHOD

We identified all police-reported cases of nonfatal child physical abuse during 2006 in a Swedish metropolitan area (n = 158). Case characteristics were abstracted from police records.

RESULTS

Over half (56%) of the victims were boys, and the median age group was 9-12 years. The severity of the alleged violence was low in 8% of cases, moderate in 51% and high in 41%. Suspects were interviewed in 53% of cases, with fathers more likely to be interviewed than mothers. Children were forensically interviewed in 52% of cases, with 9% physically examined by a clinician and 2.5% by a forensic specialist. Seven per cent of the cases were prosecuted and 1.3% resulted in summary punishment. We found no association between severity of alleged abuse and whether the suspect was interviewed, the child was forensically interviewed or physically examined or whether the perpetrator was prosecuted.

CONCLUSION

Despite the high severity of alleged violence, physical examination rates were low, suggesting a need for criminal investigative procedures on child physical abuse to be reviewed in Sweden.

Monitoring trends in violence: a delayed response to Estrada (2006)

Reliable and valid indicators of assault are required to effectively monitor population trends and ensure that resources are targeted effectively. Trends in assault, reported by the media, based on crime statistics, or on victim surveys, are substantively affected by extraneous factors. In 2006, Estrada offered up solutions to the difficulties posed by crime statistics and victim surveys, by proposing the development of indicators based on hospital discharge data, albeit with identified limitations. This article is a response to Estrada's proposition, and works through each of Estrada's identified limitations of hospital discharge data. Potential problems with Estrada's suggestions are highlighted in our article and solutions, based on the current evidence, are proposed.

Mortality and causes of death among violent offenders and victims--a Swedish population based longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Most previous studies on mortality in violent offenders or victims are based on prison or hospital samples, while this study analyzed overall and cause specific mortality among violent offenders, victims, and individuals who were both offenders and victims in a general sample of 48,834 18-20 year-old men conscripted for military service in 1969/70 in Sweden.

METHODS

Each person completed two non-anonymous questionnaires concerning family, psychological, and behavioral factors. The cohort was followed for 35 years through official registers regarding violent offenses, victimization, and mortality. The impact of violence, victimization, early risk factors and hospitalization for psychiatric diagnosis or alcohol and drug misuse during follow up on mortality was investigated using Cox proportional hazard regression analyses.

RESULTS

Repeat violent offenses were associated with an eleven fold higher hazard of dying from a substance-related cause and nearly fourfold higher hazard of dying from suicide. These figures remained significantly elevated also in multivariate analyses, with a 3.03 and 2.39 hazard ratio (HR), respectively. Participants with experience of violence and inpatient care for substance abuse or psychiatric disorder had about a two to threefold higher risk of dying compared to participants with no substance use or psychiatric disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

Violent offending and being victimized are associated with excess mortality and a risk of dying from an alcohol or drug-related cause or suicide. Consequently, prevention of violent behavior might have an effect on overall mortality and suicide rates. Prevention of alcohol and drug use is also warranted.

Factors associated with non-lethal violent victimization in Sweden in 2004-2007

Aims: To examine which factors were associated with non-lethal violent victimization in Sweden in the period 2004 to 2007. Methods: Data come from the Swedish National Public Health Surveys, undertaken annually between 2004 and 2007. A total of 29,923 randomly selected respondents aged 16 to 84 from across Sweden responded to a mailed questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine which independent variables were associated with having experienced violence in the previous 12 months. Results: Male and female respondents who were younger, single, lacking in social capital and who engaged in harmful alcohol consumption were significantly more likely to have been subject to violence. Furthermore, men who were in the lower income groups or who were Nordic, and women who were of a non-European origin, were also significantly more likely to have been victimized. Conclusions: The risk of non-lethal violent victimization is not spread equally throughout Swedish society. Specifically, those who are socially and/or economically disadvantaged are much more likely to experience violence. This highlights the importance of working to reverse the growing inequality that has occurred in Sweden in recent years that continues to be linked to the risk of being a victim of non-lethal violence.

Trends in admissions to hospital involving an assault using a knife or other sharp instrument, England, 1997–2005

OBJECTIVES

To investigate recent trends in in-patient admissions in England for assaults that involve a stabbing. Design and data source Time-series analysis of the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre's Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) database. Setting England, April 1997 to March 2005. Main outcome measure All completed hospital admissions with a mention of assault by sharp object (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, code X99) in the relevant diagnosis fields in HES.

RESULTS

In the eight years between 1st April 1997 and 31st March 2005 the number of people admitted to hospital reportedly following an assault involving a sharp object rose by 30%, from 3770 patients in 1997/8 to 4891 in 2004/5. One hundred and fifty-four of these people died (0.5%). Forty-two percent (14 220) of admissions were on a Saturday or Sunday. Males accounted for 90% (males 30 464 and females 3406) of admissions. Forty-nine percent (14 786) of the men, and 41% (1383) of the women, had injuries to the head, neck or thorax.

CONCLUSIONS

The number of recorded hospital admissions from stabbing assaults increased between 1997 and 2005. Approximately 13 people a day are currently admitted to hospital for treatment after being stabbed. Further research is required to identify effective interventions to reduce the number of stabbings.