The number of violence-related injuries treated in hospital dropped by ten per cent last year and is now at its lowest level for 15 years, according to the latest annual study from the Violence Research Group.
The survey of 117 hospital units showed that around 211,500 victims of violence attended emergency departments, minor injury units and walk-in centres in England and Wales in 2014, 23,000 fewer than in 2013 and 101,500 fewer than in 2010.
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The highest reductions were found among children up to the age of ten and young people aged 11 to 17, both down by 18 per cent since 2013. As in previous years, men aged 18 to 30 were at the highest risk of violence-related injury.
Researchers at the Violence Research Group, based at Cardiff University, gave several suggestions that might account for the decline:
Better child safeguarding
A change in children's activities, better detection and reporting practices, and wider public awareness are among the factors that might explain why violence-related injuries among children had fallen. "It seems likely that work at all levels to improve child safeguarding, especially following such tragic incidents as 'Baby P', is at the root of this welcome trend," said the report.
Alcohol
"Alcohol intoxication is a powerful driver both of violence-related injury and violent offending," said researchers, with many injuries taking place on the streets of town and city centres at night. National reductions in overall alcohol consumption and binge drinking among 16 to 24 year olds, together with higher prices for alcohol since 2008, may have contributed to the overall decline in violence. Professor Jonathan Shepherd, director of the group, told the BBC: "As we emerge from the economic downturn we must ensure that the affordability of alcohol does not increase."
CCTV
The installation and maintenance of CCTV in public areas of town and city centres may also have contributed to the reduction, claimed researchers. Better street lighting and the use of plastic glasses in pubs had also played a part, said Shepherd. He warned against future cuts in spending on CCTV and police resources.
Crime initiatives
Specific crime-reduction initiatives, such as the The Tackling Violence Action Plan and The Tackling Knives Action Plan, may also have played a role, as well as more scientific, data-driven policing. Another contributory factor may include the increase in shared information on community violence between the NHS, police and local government, said the report.
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