Shepherd J P, Ali M A, Hughes A O, Levers B G
Department of Oral Surgery, Medicine & Pathology, University of Wales College of Medicine, Dental School, Heath Park, Cardiff.
J R Soc Med. 1993 Feb;86(2):87-8.
Police crime statistics and crime survey data are known to be poor indicators of levels of violence in society. Longitudinal investigations of assault injury have not been carried out in accident and emergency departments hitherto, but may provide an accurate perspective of trends in violence. The attendance of assault patients at a city centre accident and emergency department was compared with 'wounding against the person' recorded by the police between 1973 and 1990. Woundings recorded by the police increased consistently throughout the study period whereas the number of assault patients did not increase between 1977 and 1987. From 1975 to 1990, police statistics showed a 9-fold and accident and emergency data a 6-fold increase. Both data sets showed substantial overall increases in violence after 1987, and a decrease in 1979. Further epidemiological studies of violence are necessary.
众所周知，警方的犯罪统计数据和犯罪调查数据并不能很好地反映社会中的暴力程度。迄今为止，尚未在急症室对袭击伤害进行纵向调查，但这可能会提供有关暴力趋势的准确情况。将市中心急症室中袭击患者的就诊情况与警方在1973年至1990年间记录的“人身伤害”进行了比较。在整个研究期间，警方记录的伤害事件持续增加，而袭击患者的数量在1977年至1987年间并未增加。从1975年到1990年，警方统计数据显示增长了9倍，急症室数据显示增长了6倍。两个数据集都显示1987年之后暴力事件总体大幅增加，1979年有所下降。有必要对暴力进行进一步的流行病学研究。
