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Incidence of death and hospitalization from assault occurring in and around licensed premises: a comparative analysis
Author(s) -
LANGLEY JOHN,
CHALMERS DAVID,
FANSLOW JANET
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1046/j.1360-0443.1996.9179855.x
Subject(s) - evening , incidence (geometry) , premises , demography , injury prevention , medicine , suicide prevention , poison control , occupational safety and health , human factors and ergonomics , medical emergency , environmental health , political science , law , sociology , pathology , astronomy , optics , physics
The aim of the research was to: determine the incidence of serious assault in and around licensed premises in New Zealand, and to compare the circumstances of assault with those that occurred in other locations. For the period 1978–87, inclusive, 49 assault fatalities occurred in or around licensed premises representing 9.4% of all homicides and 12.9% where a place was specified. The comparable figures for assaults resulting in hospitalization in 1988 were: 251, 10.2% and 18.4%, respectively. Further analyses suggests that our estimate of the incidence rate is likely to be an underestimate due to changes over time in the large number of assault cases which have no specific place of occurrence identified. In comparison with homes homicides in licensed premises were more likely to involve: males; Maori, unarmed fights and brawls; unknown assailants; alcohol; occur during the evening and toward the end of the week; and result in head injury. For non‐fatal events similar differences were found. In comparison with homes non‐fatal assaults were more likely to involve: males; young adults, Maori, the unemployed, unanned fights and brawls, and head injury. There have been a number of significant policy changes in New Zealand since 1988 which may have resulted in a change to the situation reponed here.