NCJ Number
156921
Date Published
August 1997
Length
11 pages
Agencies
BJS
Publication Series
Annotation
Data from a nationally representative sample of 31 hospitals with emergency departments were used to estimate the number of people treated for nonfatal injuries from confirmed or suspected interpersonal violence in 1994.
Abstract
The Study of Injured Victims of Violence was conducted to augment available estimates and as a supplement to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Results revealed that hospital emergency departments treated an estimated 1.4 million people for injuries from confirmed or suspected interpersonal violence. These persons represented about 1.5 percent of all visits to hospital emergency departments and 3.6 percent of the injury-related visits in 1994. Ninety-four percent were injured during an assault; 2 percent, during a robbery; and 5 percent, by an offender in a sexual assault. Three-fifths of the persons were males and about half were under age 25. Seven percent had been injured by a spouse or former spouse; 10 percent by a current or former other intimate partner; 8 percent by a parent, child, sibling, or other relative; 23 percent by a friend or acquaintance; and 23 percent by strangers. The victim-offender relationship was not recorded in almost 30 percent of the cases. A higher percentage of women than men were treated for injuries inflicted by an intimate. The estimated number of persons treated in emergency departments for injuries inflicted by intimates was 4 times higher than estimated from the National Crime Victimization Survey. About 92 percent of all the victims were released at once after treatment; about 8 percent were hospitalized for further treatment. Tables and 6 references
Date Created: December 28, 2009