Two decades of violence. A cohort study from the Danish municipality of Aarhus.

INTRODUCTION

Data collected from hospitals and the police has on several occasions proved to be useful in gaining knowledge about violence. The two casualty departments, Institute of Forensic Medicine and the police in Aarhus have co-operated in three earlier studies about interpersonal violence, the latest in 1993-1994. The purpose of this recent study is to reveal updated information about the incidence and character of violence in Aarhus.

METHODOLOGY

Dynamic cohort study during the period the 1st of April 1999 to the 31st of March 2000. Persons who after having been exposed to violence arrived at the casualty wards and Institute of Forensic Medicine were registered and interviewed. Also data from the police was collected. All results were compared to corresponding data collected from equally conducted studies in 1981-1982, 1987-1988, and 1993-1994.

RESULTS

The number of victims significantly decreased to 1496. The annual incidence rate decreased to 4.6 victims/1000. The decrease in violence was particularly among the 15-24 year old males. The extent of violence against women remained unchanged in 1999-2000. Foreigners were significantly higher represented among victims. The character and severity of violence were unchanged.

CONCLUSION

Similar findings with overall decreasing incidence of violence, and on the other hand increasing violence among foreigners have been found in similar studies from Norway and England. Preventive actions should be regarded against the 15-24 year old males and foreigners.