More 10 year-olds needing treatment after violence

The number rose by nearly 80 per cent last year

Author: Jon BurkePublished 20th Apr 2023

New research suggests the number of children aged 10 and under needing medical treatment due to violence rose by nearly 80% last year.

A report on data from 88 emergency departments in England and Wales, around a quarter of the total, suggested that the number of cases involving children aged zero to 10 rose by 79.6% in 2022, compared with the previous year.

There were an estimated 2,766 cases in 2022.

Researchers from Cardiff University's Violence Research Group found that compares with 1,540 in 2021

In total an estimated 164,723 people attended accident and emergency, minor injury units or walk-in centres in England and Wales for treatment of injuries sustained in violence, up 17,867 or 12% on 2021.

It was the second year running that the number increased by more than 10%, having risen by 23% the previous year as Covid restrictions were lifted.

The total figure remains just below pre-pandemic levels, still 6.2% down on the 175,764 cases dealt with in 2019.

But serious violence among victims aged 31 to 50 rose by 10% last year and outstripped 2019 levels, the only age group to rise above pre-pandemic figures.

Violence more common at weekends

Violence was much more common at weekends after people had gone out on Friday and Saturday nights, the researchers found, and also rose during May and July.

Men were more than twice as likely as women to need treatment for injuries, and in terms of age those aged between 18 and 30 were most at risk, followed by 31 to 50-year-olds.

The longer term trend is of a steady decrease in serious violence, according to hospital and Crime Survey data.

In 2012 the number of people needing emergency medical treatment for injuries caused by violence was 267,291, and the figure has steadily decreased since.

There was a marked drop when Covid-19 restrictions were brought in, going from 175,764 people treated in 2019 to 119,111 in 2020.

'It can be prevented'

Co-author of the report, Professor Jonathan Shepherd, said: "The most important message from the Covid-19 era as far as violence is concerned is that it can be prevented. Violence is not inevitable.

"Redoubling and targeting prevention efforts will reduce its burdens on citizens, families and across public services, not least on costly, hard-pressed hospital emergency departments."

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