Iain Brennan
University of Hull, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty Member
- Forensic Psychology, Applied Psychology, Violence, Criminology (Social Sciences), Alcohol Studies, Personality Disorders, and 20 moreCriminal Psychology, Aggression (Psychology), Decision-Making, Crime Science, Victimology, Violence Prevention, Forensic psychiatry, Mathematical Psychology and Statistics, Prevention Science, Intergroup Conflict, Violence in Psychiatry, Crime Prevention Policies, Night Time Economy, Victimisation Surveys, Criminology, Substance Abuse, Alcohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, Problem oriented policing, and A&E dataedit
- Dr Iain Brennan is a chartered research psychologist and Reader in the School of Education and Social Sciences at the... moreDr Iain Brennan is a chartered research psychologist and Reader in the School of Education and Social Sciences at the University of Hull. Iain gained his PhD from Cardiff University in 2007 with a thesis entitled: "Weapon violence: An investigation of victimisation and offending". Prior to taking up his present position, he coordinated a complex intervention aimed at reducing alcohol-related violence in several towns in South Wales.
His research interests include violence, knife crime, crime prevention, alcohol misuse and victim behaviour. His work has appeared in journals including Psychiatry Research, Addiction and British Medical Journal.
He teaches undergraduate and postgraduate modules in Psychology, Research Methods and Criminology.edit
Objective: Following a pre-registered study design, estimate the effect of police force-wide domestic abuse training on arrests for the new crime of ‘controlling or coercive behaviour’.Methods: Using data on monthly count of arrest for... more
Objective: Following a pre-registered study design, estimate the effect of police force-wide domestic abuse training on arrests for the new crime of ‘controlling or coercive behaviour’.Methods: Using data on monthly count of arrest for controlling or coercive behaviour in 33 police forces, we used a negative binomial difference-in-difference analysis and capitalised on differences in intervention timing to undertake an event study.Results: Training was associated with a 41% increase in arrest for controlling or coercive behaviour for trained forces compared to untrained forces (IRR 1.413, 95% CI 1.235–1.617). The event study illustrated that the increase in arrests in trained forces was consistent with the timing of the training.Conclusions: Training entire police forces to understand the dynamics of domestic abuse, including the new offence of coercive control, is effective in increasing the rate of arrest for coercive control.
This paper identifies longitudinal predictors of weapon-carrying in a sample of 10-25 year olds in England and Wales. It conceptualises weapon-carrying as anticipation of an adverse event and proposes hypotheses about the origins of... more
This paper identifies longitudinal predictors of weapon-carrying in a sample of 10-25 year olds in England and Wales. It conceptualises weapon-carrying as anticipation of an adverse event and proposes hypotheses about the origins of weapon-carrying derived from the field of risk analysis. Specifically, it tests if worry about victimisation and experience of violence predict later weapon-carrying and assesses the moderating influence of trust in the police. The results indicate that worry about victimisation does not predict weapon-carrying, but experience of violence does. Distrust of police and peer criminality were also identified as important precursors to weapon-carrying. The study provides further evidence that weapon-carrying is a product of exposure to violence and criminogenic factors rather than a response to concern about victimisation.
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Research Interests: Criminology and Law
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Weapons are the tools of interpersonal violence, power, and control. The potential they have for causing serious injury gives them a contradictory power: They can be used to do serious violence or to reduce the likelihood of any violence;... more
Weapons are the tools of interpersonal violence, power, and control. The potential they have for causing serious injury gives them a contradictory power: They can be used to do serious violence or to reduce the likelihood of any violence; they can deescalate an altercation or prime aggressive behavior; and they can be essential mechanisms for self- protection while also being offensive and dangerous. These contradictions make weapon carrying and use fascinating but complicated areas to study, and this complexity can be seen both in public and in academic debate. Throughout this chapter, when considering offender decision making, it is important to recall the many overlapping and often contradictory functions that weapons fulfill for users. Binary interpretations of weapons as having purely offensive or defensive functions will limit our ability to understand offender decision making and should be avoided wherever possible. This chapter is divided into four main sections that relate ...
We examined perspectives of social workers, police officers and specialist domestic abuse practitioners about their perceived ability and organisational readiness to respond effectively to incidents of coercive and controlling behaviour.... more
We examined perspectives of social workers, police officers and specialist domestic abuse practitioners about their perceived ability and organisational readiness to respond effectively to incidents of coercive and controlling behaviour. Interviews revealed intervention and risk assessment strategies structured around an outdated, maladaptive concept of domestic abuse as an unambiguous and violent event and frontline services that lacked appreciation of the power dynamics inherent in controlling relationships. The analysis demonstrates how lack of definitional clarity around non-physical domestic abuse can increase the use of discretion by frontline services and, by extension, increase the discounting of coercive control by pressured frontline officers.
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This paper provides an evaluation of a police pilot early-diversion scheme for adult females who were arrested for low-severity offences using a natural experiment design. The intervention is novel in that it diverts arrestees to a... more
This paper provides an evaluation of a police pilot early-diversion scheme for adult females who were arrested for low-severity offences using a natural experiment design. The intervention is novel in that it diverts arrestees to a women’s centre for assistance to address their criminogenic needs rather than process them through the criminal justice system. The intervention is timely and attractive given its rehabilitative features and its potential for reducing demand on the criminal justice system through community resolution. The study found a promising effect of the intervention on rates of rearrest and daily risk of rearrest over a twelve month follow-up period, but a higher frequency of rearrest among those of the intervention group who were rearrested. The findings are discussed in relation to the political context, theoretical background and police performance and the gendered dynamics of offending.
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The unfortunate experience of victims and their reactions to victimisation can provide insights into public understanding of crime that could never be ethically or prospectively explored. One such insight emanates from the fact that many... more
The unfortunate experience of victims and their reactions to victimisation can provide insights into public understanding of crime that could never be ethically or prospectively explored. One such insight emanates from the fact that many people do not regard violence against them as a crime. However, the factors that influence this response are unknown. Understanding how the ‘crimeworthiness’ of violence is interpreted allows an insight into how victims make sense of their experience, how communities influence attitudes towards victimisation and identifies a sub-group of victims within the ‘dark figure’ of crime. Using a pooled cross-sectional sample of respondents to the Crime Survey for England and Wales this paper will identify factors associated with the decision to label or discount a violent incident as a crime. The paper will show that harm, unjustness and relational distance are the principal components of a crime, but these factors are moderated by the normativity of victim...
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Research Interests: Health Promotion, Violence, Research Design, Focus Groups, Humans, and 12 moreFeasibility Studies, Restaurants, Data Collection, New South Wales, Randomised Controlled Trial, Success Rate, Public health systems and services research, Process Evaluation, Large Scale, Medical Records, Licensure, and Emergency Department
This article explores the relationship between value similarity and public trust in charitable organisations. Through a focus group interview and an empirical study based on a UK sample, findings show that value similarity between the... more
This article explores the relationship between value similarity and public trust in charitable organisations. Through a focus group interview and an empirical study based on a UK sample, findings show that value similarity between the public and charitable organisations is an important driver of trust in charities even when individuals lack in depth knowledge of them. It is also an elemental domain of public trust in charities and makes the greatest contribution to explaining this concept. It is concluded that value similarity is the key to understanding and establishing public trust that is essential for prosperity of the voluntary sector.
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Slides of a public lecture given as part of the Society and Culture Tea-time Talks Public Lecture Series at University of Hull.
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Forthcoming in Bernasco, W., Elffers, H. & van Gelder, J-L. (Eds.). Oxford Handbook of Offender Decision-Making. This chapter describes the contradictory roles that weapons play in offender decision-making as mechanisms that can both... more
Forthcoming in Bernasco, W., Elffers, H. & van Gelder, J-L. (Eds.). Oxford Handbook of Offender Decision-Making.
This chapter describes the contradictory roles that weapons play in offender decision-making as mechanisms that can both increase the physical harm to a victim of violence but also reduce the need for physical harm in victims of robbery. As weapons serve simultaneously offensive and defensive purposes, the way in which offenders carry and use weapons is subject to a complex decision-making process. This process is presented and interpreted from a rational perspective, incorporating an offender’s calculation of potential benefits and costs as well as the uncertainty of a victim’s response. A rational analysis of weapon carrying and use is presented alongside research evidence suggesting that culture and availability are important influences on weapon of choice and weapon-related behaviour. The chapter concludes with a review of the effectiveness of weapons in reducing victim resistance and retaliation showing that weapon use is a high reward–high cost activity.
This chapter describes the contradictory roles that weapons play in offender decision-making as mechanisms that can both increase the physical harm to a victim of violence but also reduce the need for physical harm in victims of robbery. As weapons serve simultaneously offensive and defensive purposes, the way in which offenders carry and use weapons is subject to a complex decision-making process. This process is presented and interpreted from a rational perspective, incorporating an offender’s calculation of potential benefits and costs as well as the uncertainty of a victim’s response. A rational analysis of weapon carrying and use is presented alongside research evidence suggesting that culture and availability are important influences on weapon of choice and weapon-related behaviour. The chapter concludes with a review of the effectiveness of weapons in reducing victim resistance and retaliation showing that weapon use is a high reward–high cost activity.
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Research Interests: Spatial Analysis, Violence, Drugs And Alcohol, Public Health, Health Services Research, and 19 moreAdolescent, Commerce, Humans, Crime, Substance Abuse, Accidents, Alcohol, Wales, Female, Alcohol Drinking, Male, Drug Addiction, Data Collection, Longitudinal Studies, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Alcoholic Beverages, Health surveys, and Alcohol Addiction
Brief report on domestic abuse in North Lincolnshire. Prepared on behalf of Safer Neighbourhoods North Lincolnshire.
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In press with International Review of Victimology Abstract Many people do not regard violence against them as a crime, but the factors that influence this response are unknown. Understanding how the ‘crimeworthiness’ of violence is... more
In press with International Review of Victimology
Abstract
Many people do not regard violence against them as a crime, but the factors that influence this response are unknown. Understanding how the ‘crimeworthiness’ of violence is interpreted allows an insight into how victims make sense of their experience, how communities influence attitudes towards victimisation and the reporting of crime to the police. A pooled cross-sectional sample of respondents to the Crime Survey for England and Wales was used to identify factors associated with the decision to label or discount a violent incident as a crime. Individual and neighbourhood-level effects were estimated using multilevel modelling. Harm, the perceived unjustness of the incident and victim-offender relational distance predicted labelling, while frequency of victimisation and victim initiation of the incident predicted discounting. Neighbourhood and neighbourhood crime had little effect on victims’ interpretations of the ‘crimeworthiness’ of violence. When victims interpret violence against them, they appear to do so unencumbered by social norms, but are influenced by the impact of the violence, the ‘prototypicality’ of the incident as a crime and their previous experience of violence.
Keywords: victimisation; violence; crime; labelling; multilevel modelling; neighbourhood effects
Abstract
Many people do not regard violence against them as a crime, but the factors that influence this response are unknown. Understanding how the ‘crimeworthiness’ of violence is interpreted allows an insight into how victims make sense of their experience, how communities influence attitudes towards victimisation and the reporting of crime to the police. A pooled cross-sectional sample of respondents to the Crime Survey for England and Wales was used to identify factors associated with the decision to label or discount a violent incident as a crime. Individual and neighbourhood-level effects were estimated using multilevel modelling. Harm, the perceived unjustness of the incident and victim-offender relational distance predicted labelling, while frequency of victimisation and victim initiation of the incident predicted discounting. Neighbourhood and neighbourhood crime had little effect on victims’ interpretations of the ‘crimeworthiness’ of violence. When victims interpret violence against them, they appear to do so unencumbered by social norms, but are influenced by the impact of the violence, the ‘prototypicality’ of the incident as a crime and their previous experience of violence.
Keywords: victimisation; violence; crime; labelling; multilevel modelling; neighbourhood effects
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Slides from a public lecture as part of the "Society and Culture tea-time talk series", University of Hull, December 2014. Full reference list available on request.
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with Yongjiao Yang* and Mick Wilkinson *Corresponding author International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 63(6), 779-796. Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to seek to investigate public trust... more
with Yongjiao Yang* and Mick Wilkinson
*Corresponding author
International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 63(6), 779-796.
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to seek to investigate public trust as an important factor of performance in the charitable sector, and explain the necessity of including public trust assessment in charity performance measurement.
Design/methodology/approach: Two focus group interviews were conducted in the UK to investigate the reasons for trust and lack of trust in charities, which contributed to the identification of the relation between public trust and charity performance measurement.
Findings: Indicators of public trust in charities are not only related to some conventional criteria for evaluating charity performance, but also shed light on “soft” factors which are relatively new criteria used to assess performance. Furthermore, measuring public trust is an indispensable supplement to existing approaches of performance assessment in the charitable sector. It remedies the drawbacks of previous studies by employing a “bottom-up” approach to evaluation that avoids the conflicting demands of different stakeholders when deciding assessment criteria.
Research limitations/implications: Re-conducting the study with larger samples, combining with quantitative surveys, and applying more rigorous approach to data analysis could be helpful for improving the generalizability of the results.
Practical implications: The study highlights the necessity of considering public trust when measuring charity performance. Additionally, it suggests charities to make improvements of their performance based on the reasons for trust and lack of trust.
Originality/value: It provides insight into the public trust of charities and, for the first time, explores the applicability of measuring public trust in charity performance evaluation.
Keywords: Performance, Measurement, Indicator, Charity, Charitable sector, Public trust
*Corresponding author
International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 63(6), 779-796.
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to seek to investigate public trust as an important factor of performance in the charitable sector, and explain the necessity of including public trust assessment in charity performance measurement.
Design/methodology/approach: Two focus group interviews were conducted in the UK to investigate the reasons for trust and lack of trust in charities, which contributed to the identification of the relation between public trust and charity performance measurement.
Findings: Indicators of public trust in charities are not only related to some conventional criteria for evaluating charity performance, but also shed light on “soft” factors which are relatively new criteria used to assess performance. Furthermore, measuring public trust is an indispensable supplement to existing approaches of performance assessment in the charitable sector. It remedies the drawbacks of previous studies by employing a “bottom-up” approach to evaluation that avoids the conflicting demands of different stakeholders when deciding assessment criteria.
Research limitations/implications: Re-conducting the study with larger samples, combining with quantitative surveys, and applying more rigorous approach to data analysis could be helpful for improving the generalizability of the results.
Practical implications: The study highlights the necessity of considering public trust when measuring charity performance. Additionally, it suggests charities to make improvements of their performance based on the reasons for trust and lack of trust.
Originality/value: It provides insight into the public trust of charities and, for the first time, explores the applicability of measuring public trust in charity performance evaluation.
Keywords: Performance, Measurement, Indicator, Charity, Charitable sector, Public trust
Research Interests:
The labeling of an incident as a crime is an essential precursor to the use of criminal law, but the contextual factors that influence this decision are unknown. One such context that is a frequent setting for violence is the barroom.... more
The labeling of an incident as a crime is an essential precursor to the use of criminal law, but the contextual factors that influence this decision are unknown. One such context that is a frequent setting for violence is the barroom. This study explored how the setting of a violent incident is related to the decision by victims to label it as a crime. It tested the hypothesis that violent incidents that took place in or around a licensed premises were less likely to be regarded as crimes than violence in other settings. The hypothesis was tested using a pooled sample of respondents from successive waves of the Crime Survey for England and Wales (2002/3-2010/11). Logistic regression models controlled for demographic factors, victim behavioral characteristics and incident-specific factors including the seriousness of the violence. Respondents who were in or around a licensed premises at the time of victimization were less likely to regard that violence as a crime (Adjusted odds ratio 0.48, 95% Confidence intervals 0.34–0.67) than respondents who were victimized in other locations. Despite a disproportionate amount of violence taking place in barrooms, it appears that the criminal nature of violence in these spaces is discounted by victims. The findings emphasize how context affects victim interpretations of crime and suggests a victim-centred reconceptualization of the ‘moral holiday’ hypothesis of alcohol settings.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
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Background: Excess alcohol consumption has serious adverse effects on health and violence-related harm. In the UK around 37% of men and 29% of women drink to excess and 20% and 13% report binge drinking. The potential impact on... more
Background: Excess alcohol consumption has serious adverse effects on health and violence-related harm. In the
UK around 37% of men and 29% of women drink to excess and 20% and 13% report binge drinking. The potential
impact on population health from a reduction in consumption is considerable. One proposed method to reduce
consumption is to reduce availability through controls on alcohol outlet density. In this study we investigate the
impact of a change in the density of alcohol outlets on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harms to health
in the community.
Methods/Design: A natural experiment of the effect of change in outlet density between 2005–09, in Wales, UK;
population 2.4 million aged 16 years and over. Data on outlets are held by the 22 local authorities in Wales under
The Licensing Act 2003.
The study outcomes are change in (1) alcohol consumption using data from annual Welsh Health Surveys, (2)
alcohol-related hospital admissions using the Patient Episode Database for Wales, (3) Accident & Emergency
department attendances between midnight–6am, and (4) alcohol-related violent crime against the person,
using Police data.
The data will be anonymously record-linked within the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank at
individual and 2001 Census Lower Super Output Area levels. New methods of network analysis will be used to
estimate outlet density. Longitudinal statistical analysis will use (1) multilevel ordinal models of consumption and
logistic models of admissions and Accident & Emergency attendance as a function of change in individual outlet
exposure, adjusting for confounding variables, and (2) spatial models of the change in counts/rates of each
outcome measure and outlet density. We will assess the impact on health inequalities and will correct for
population migration.
Discussion: This inter-disciplinary study requires expertise in epidemiology and public health, health informatics,
medical statistics, geographical information science, and research into alcohol-related violence. Information
governance requirements for the use of record-linked data have been approved together with formal data access
agreements for the use of the Welsh Health Survey and Police data.
The dissemination strategy will include policy makers in national and local government. Public engagement will be
through the Clinical Research Collaboration-Cymru "Involving People" network, which will provide input into the
implementation of the research.
UK around 37% of men and 29% of women drink to excess and 20% and 13% report binge drinking. The potential
impact on population health from a reduction in consumption is considerable. One proposed method to reduce
consumption is to reduce availability through controls on alcohol outlet density. In this study we investigate the
impact of a change in the density of alcohol outlets on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harms to health
in the community.
Methods/Design: A natural experiment of the effect of change in outlet density between 2005–09, in Wales, UK;
population 2.4 million aged 16 years and over. Data on outlets are held by the 22 local authorities in Wales under
The Licensing Act 2003.
The study outcomes are change in (1) alcohol consumption using data from annual Welsh Health Surveys, (2)
alcohol-related hospital admissions using the Patient Episode Database for Wales, (3) Accident & Emergency
department attendances between midnight–6am, and (4) alcohol-related violent crime against the person,
using Police data.
The data will be anonymously record-linked within the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank at
individual and 2001 Census Lower Super Output Area levels. New methods of network analysis will be used to
estimate outlet density. Longitudinal statistical analysis will use (1) multilevel ordinal models of consumption and
logistic models of admissions and Accident & Emergency attendance as a function of change in individual outlet
exposure, adjusting for confounding variables, and (2) spatial models of the change in counts/rates of each
outcome measure and outlet density. We will assess the impact on health inequalities and will correct for
population migration.
Discussion: This inter-disciplinary study requires expertise in epidemiology and public health, health informatics,
medical statistics, geographical information science, and research into alcohol-related violence. Information
governance requirements for the use of record-linked data have been approved together with formal data access
agreements for the use of the Welsh Health Survey and Police data.
The dissemination strategy will include policy makers in national and local government. Public engagement will be
through the Clinical Research Collaboration-Cymru "Involving People" network, which will provide input into the
implementation of the research.
Abstract Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of anonymised information sharing to prevent injury related to violence. Design Experimental study and time series analysis of a prototype community partnership between the health... more
Abstract
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of anonymised information sharing to prevent injury related to violence.
Design Experimental study and time series analysis of a prototype community partnership between the health service, police, and local government partners designed to prevent violence.
Setting Cardiff, Wales, and 14 comparison cities designated “most similar” by the Home Office in England and Wales.
Intervention After a 33 month development period, anonymised data relevant to violence prevention (precise violence location, time, days, and weapons) from patients attending emergency departments in Cardiff and reporting injury from violence were shared over 51 months with police and local authority partners and used to target resources for violence prevention.
Main outcome measures Health service records of hospital admissions related to violence and police records of woundings and less serious assaults in Cardiff and other cities after adjustment for potential confounders.
Results Information sharing and use were associated with a substantial and significant reduction in hospital admissions related to violence. In the intervention city (Cardiff) rates fell from seven to five a month per 100 000 population compared with an increase from five to eight in comparison cities (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.58, 95% confidence interval 0.49 to 0.69). Average rate of woundings recorded by the police changed from 54 to 82 a month per 100 000 population in Cardiff compared with an increase from 54 to 114 in comparison cities (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.68, 0.61 to 0.75). There was a significant increase in less serious assaults recorded by the police, from 15 to 20 a month per 100 000 population in Cardiff compared with a decrease from 42 to 33 in comparison cities (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1.38, 1.13 to 1.70).
Conclusion An information sharing partnership between health services, police, and local government in Cardiff, Wales, altered policing and other strategies to prevent violence based on information collected from patients treated in emergency departments after injury sustained in violence. This intervention led to a significant reduction in violent injury and was associated with an increase in police recording of minor assaults in Cardiff compared with similar cities in England and Wales where this intervention was not implemented.
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of anonymised information sharing to prevent injury related to violence.
Design Experimental study and time series analysis of a prototype community partnership between the health service, police, and local government partners designed to prevent violence.
Setting Cardiff, Wales, and 14 comparison cities designated “most similar” by the Home Office in England and Wales.
Intervention After a 33 month development period, anonymised data relevant to violence prevention (precise violence location, time, days, and weapons) from patients attending emergency departments in Cardiff and reporting injury from violence were shared over 51 months with police and local authority partners and used to target resources for violence prevention.
Main outcome measures Health service records of hospital admissions related to violence and police records of woundings and less serious assaults in Cardiff and other cities after adjustment for potential confounders.
Results Information sharing and use were associated with a substantial and significant reduction in hospital admissions related to violence. In the intervention city (Cardiff) rates fell from seven to five a month per 100 000 population compared with an increase from five to eight in comparison cities (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.58, 95% confidence interval 0.49 to 0.69). Average rate of woundings recorded by the police changed from 54 to 82 a month per 100 000 population in Cardiff compared with an increase from 54 to 114 in comparison cities (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.68, 0.61 to 0.75). There was a significant increase in less serious assaults recorded by the police, from 15 to 20 a month per 100 000 population in Cardiff compared with a decrease from 42 to 33 in comparison cities (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1.38, 1.13 to 1.70).
Conclusion An information sharing partnership between health services, police, and local government in Cardiff, Wales, altered policing and other strategies to prevent violence based on information collected from patients treated in emergency departments after injury sustained in violence. This intervention led to a significant reduction in violent injury and was associated with an increase in police recording of minor assaults in Cardiff compared with similar cities in England and Wales where this intervention was not implemented.
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This study identifies the individual, situational, and alcohol-related factors associated with reporting violent victimization to the police. Factors positively associated with reporting included older age and incident severity (the... more
This study identifies the individual, situational, and alcohol-related factors associated with reporting violent victimization to the police. Factors positively associated with reporting included older age and incident severity (the assailant’s use of a weapon, incurring injury that required attendance at an emergency department). Factors negatively associated with reporting included higher educational qualifications, assault in the nighttime economy (NTE), and drinking more than two alcoholic drinks immediately prior to victimization. It is possible that drinkers engage in a “moratorium” on reporting violence in the NTE. Recognizing and reducing the acceptability of violence in the NTE may help reduce incidence of alcohol-related violence. Organizations that use police records of violence to inform practice and policy should account for uneven distributions in reporting behavior when analyzing trends in violence.
Aims: To assess associations between measures of premises-level alcohol-related harm and risk factors for harm. Methods: Thirty-two licensed premises with a history of on-premises violent assault were recruited. An environmental survey of... more
Aims: To assess associations between measures of premises-level alcohol-related harm and risk factors for harm. Methods: Thirty-two licensed premises with a history of on-premises violent assault were recruited. An environmental survey of the drinking context of each premises was undertaken. Levels of patron intoxication were assessed using a breathalyser and a visual assessment of customers at each premises. Premise-level violence was identified via routine police and hospital emergency department data. Analyses examined associations between hospital and police data, surveyor and objective ratings of intoxication and the relationship between intoxication, drinking context and violence at the premises level. Results: Hospital and police data were associated. Aggregate levels of surveyor-rated intoxication were associated with aggregate alcometer breath alcohol levels. Analyses further suggest that premises with the highest levels of violence also had customers whose entry–exit change in intoxication was greatest, were open for longer hours, had alcohol promotions and had visible security staff present. Conclusions: Police and hospital data can be used to identify violent premises and to assess outcomes from premises-level interventions to reduce violence. Relatively low-cost observational survey methods can be used to identify high-risk premises, and can be used as outcomes for premises-level interventions. Features of premises that promote intoxication are associated with violence, suggesting that targeting resources at risky premises will likely address two public health concerns: excessive intoxication and assault-related injury.
Identifying factors that increase the likelihood of victimisation and injury reveals the considerable variability across groups and between incidents. It also allows the efficient allocation of prevention resources to protect those at... more
Identifying factors that increase the likelihood of victimisation and injury reveals the considerable variability across groups and between incidents. It also allows the efficient allocation of prevention resources to protect those at greatest risk of harm. In this study, three statistical models were developed to identify risk factors for violent victimisation, violent injury and assault related treatment at an Emergency Department (ED). The cross sectional sample included all respondents in successive sweeps of the British Crime Survey between 2002/03 and 2007/08 (n = 261,510). Based on logistic regression, risk factors for violent victimisation included male gender, younger age, being divorced or separated, lower household income, living in an urban area and frequency of visiting a licensed premises. Among victims of violence, sustaining an injury was associated with weapon use and degree of alcohol intoxication. Among those injured in violence, weapon use, alcohol intoxication and being black increased risk of treatment at an ED. While sociodemographic factors can be used to predict incidence of victimisation, offence specific factors offer greater predictive validity in predicting harm outcomes.
Background Licensed premises offer a valuable point of intervention to reduce alcohol-related harm. Objective To describe the research design for an exploratory trial examining the feasibility and acceptability of a premises-level... more
Background
Licensed premises offer a valuable point of intervention to reduce alcohol-related harm.
Objective
To describe the research design for an exploratory trial examining the feasibility and acceptability of a premises-level intervention designed to reduce severe intoxication and related disorder. The study also aims to assess the feasibility of a potential future large scale effectiveness trial and provide information on key trial design parameters including inclusion criteria, premises recruitment methods, strategies to implement the intervention and trial design, outcome measures, data collection methods and intra-cluster correlations.
Design
A randomised controlled trial in licensed premises that had
experienced at least one assault in the year preceding the intervention, documented in police or hospital Emergency Department (ED) records. Premises were recruited from four study areas by piloting four recruitment strategies of varying intensity. Thirty two licensed premises were grouped into matched pairs to reduce potential bias and randomly allocated to the control or intervention condition. The study included a nested process evaluation to provide information on intervention acceptability and implementation. Outcome measures included police-recorded violent incidents, assault-related attendances at each premises' local ED and patron Breath Alcohol Concentration assessed on exiting and entering study premises.
Results
The most successful recruitment method involved local police licensing officers and yielded a 100% success rate. Police-records of violence provided the most appropriate source of data about disorder at the premises level.
Conclusion
The methodology of an exploratory trial is presented and despite challenges presented by the study environment it is argued an exploratory trial is warranted. Initial investigations in recruitment methods suggest that study premises should be recruited with the assistance of police officers. Police data were of sufficient quality to identify disorder and street surveys are a feasible method for measuring intoxication at the individual level.
Trial registration
UKCRN 7090; ISRCTN: 80875696
Funding
Medical Research Council (G0701758) to Simon Moore, Simon Murphy, Laurence Moore and Jonathan Shepherd
Licensed premises offer a valuable point of intervention to reduce alcohol-related harm.
Objective
To describe the research design for an exploratory trial examining the feasibility and acceptability of a premises-level intervention designed to reduce severe intoxication and related disorder. The study also aims to assess the feasibility of a potential future large scale effectiveness trial and provide information on key trial design parameters including inclusion criteria, premises recruitment methods, strategies to implement the intervention and trial design, outcome measures, data collection methods and intra-cluster correlations.
Design
A randomised controlled trial in licensed premises that had
experienced at least one assault in the year preceding the intervention, documented in police or hospital Emergency Department (ED) records. Premises were recruited from four study areas by piloting four recruitment strategies of varying intensity. Thirty two licensed premises were grouped into matched pairs to reduce potential bias and randomly allocated to the control or intervention condition. The study included a nested process evaluation to provide information on intervention acceptability and implementation. Outcome measures included police-recorded violent incidents, assault-related attendances at each premises' local ED and patron Breath Alcohol Concentration assessed on exiting and entering study premises.
Results
The most successful recruitment method involved local police licensing officers and yielded a 100% success rate. Police-records of violence provided the most appropriate source of data about disorder at the premises level.
Conclusion
The methodology of an exploratory trial is presented and despite challenges presented by the study environment it is argued an exploratory trial is warranted. Initial investigations in recruitment methods suggest that study premises should be recruited with the assistance of police officers. Police data were of sufficient quality to identify disorder and street surveys are a feasible method for measuring intoxication at the individual level.
Trial registration
UKCRN 7090; ISRCTN: 80875696
Funding
Medical Research Council (G0701758) to Simon Moore, Simon Murphy, Laurence Moore and Jonathan Shepherd
Weapons are used in approximately one quarter of all violent incidents and the majority of homicides in the US, and the UK. Despite their overwhelming contribution to violent harm, theories of weapon related behaviors are scarce, and... more
Weapons are used in approximately one quarter of all violent incidents and the majority of homicides in the US, and the UK. Despite their overwhelming contribution to violent harm, theories of weapon related behaviors are scarce, and little is known of their correlates. This paper reviews available theories of weapon related behavior and identifies a number of motivations for weapon carrying, such as self defense, victim coercion, causing harm and self presentation. Correlates of weapon carrying and weapon use such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, exposure to weapons and history of aggression are explored and a number of limitations to current research approaches are identified. The review concludes with a discussion of future directions for research.
A spate of knife killings in the United Kingdom, largely of young Londoners, has prompted outrage in the media, fear on the part of citizens, and new policy proposals from government. According to the authoritative British crime survey,... more
A spate of knife killings in the United Kingdom, largely of young Londoners, has prompted outrage in the media, fear on the part of citizens, and new policy proposals from government. According to the authoritative British crime survey, weapons were used in around a quarter of violent incidents in England and Wales in 2006-7, although the survey does not take account of crime affecting people under 16 years.1 According to this source, the annual prevalence of knife use has remained constant at around 7% of all violent incidents since 2000. Hospital episode statistics show that rates of hospital admission in England after violence of all types increased (from 82.7/100 000 population in 2000-1 to 114.4/100 000 in 2006-7) at almost exactly the same rate as admissions after knife violence (from 8.5/100 000 to 11.3/100 000). In contrast, rates of treatment in emergency departments after violence of all types decreased from . . .
Objectives: To test the hypothesis that weapon-related violence (excluding firearms) results in more severe injury relative to the use of body parts (fists, feet and other body parts), and to rank order of injury severity by assault... more
Objectives: To test the hypothesis that weapon-related violence (excluding firearms) results in more severe injury relative to the use of body parts (fists, feet and other body parts), and to rank order of injury severity by assault mechanism.
Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Participants: 24 660 patients who were treated in a UK emergency department for violence-related injury.
Main outcome measure: Score on the Manchester Triage Scale.
Results: The use of a weapon resulted in significantly more serious injury (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00 to 1.28). However, of all mechanisms of violent injury, the use of feet resulted in most severe injury (AOR 1.41, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.70), followed by blunt objects (AOR 1.35, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.58), other body parts (AOR 1.22, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.40) and sharp objects (AOR 1.09, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.5), compared with use of fists.
Conclusions: Use of weapons resulted in more severe injury than use only of body parts. The use of feet caused the most serious injuries, whereas the use of fists caused the least severe injuries. Injury severity varied by number of assailants and age of the patient—peaking at 47 years—but not by number of injuries. Preventing the use of feet in violence, and preventing group violence should be major priorities.
Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Participants: 24 660 patients who were treated in a UK emergency department for violence-related injury.
Main outcome measure: Score on the Manchester Triage Scale.
Results: The use of a weapon resulted in significantly more serious injury (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00 to 1.28). However, of all mechanisms of violent injury, the use of feet resulted in most severe injury (AOR 1.41, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.70), followed by blunt objects (AOR 1.35, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.58), other body parts (AOR 1.22, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.40) and sharp objects (AOR 1.09, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.5), compared with use of fists.
Conclusions: Use of weapons resulted in more severe injury than use only of body parts. The use of feet caused the most serious injuries, whereas the use of fists caused the least severe injuries. Injury severity varied by number of assailants and age of the patient—peaking at 47 years—but not by number of injuries. Preventing the use of feet in violence, and preventing group violence should be major priorities.
The use of weapons in violence increases both the severity of harm to victims and the severity of legal consequences for offenders, but little is known of the characteristics of violent offenders who choose to use weapons. Levels of... more
The use of weapons in violence increases both the severity of harm to victims and the severity of legal consequences for offenders, but little is known of the characteristics of violent offenders who choose to use weapons. Levels of anger, attitude to risk, time discounting, and antisocial history among a sample of weapon-using violent offenders (n = 15) were compared to violent offenders who had not used a weapon (n = 10) and nonviolent offenders (n = 15). Results showed that weapon-using violent offenders displayed greater trait aggression and were more risk seeking than other offender types. In addition, weapon-using violent offenders were first convicted at an earlier age and truanted from school more frequently compared to other offender types. The results indicate that weapon users are more aggressive and more risk taking, but no more present focused than other violent and nonviolent offenders. Further research into the cognitive and social factors that influence weapon use is required if this dangerous behavior is to be reduced.
Criminology has much to offer activities to reduce the harm of violent incidents –– particularly by reducing weapon-carrying and use – but the discipline's engagement with the harm reduction agenda has been limited. In addressing this,... more
Criminology has much to offer activities to reduce the harm of violent incidents –– particularly by reducing weapon-carrying and use – but the discipline's engagement with the harm reduction agenda has been limited. In addressing this, the paper identifies risk factors for carrying a weapon by a young person in England and Wales. It demonstrates that this decision is influenced by individual-, interpersonal-and community-level factors and that weapon carriers can be distinguished from other respondents using relatively few characteristics. The study also shows that defensive factors, such as victimisation and concerns about personal safety are relevant to understanding weapon-carrying, but they are outweighed by criminogenic factors such as violence, neighbourhood disorder and, importantly, lack of trust in the police.
Research Interests:
This is a summary of the results of a study and has not yet been peer-reviewed. The full paper is in preparation.
Research Interests:
A working document outlining the state of knowledge on the carrying and use of weapons in violence in the UK. The paper outlines the limited research on this topic and discusses how research findings from other parts of the world can and... more
A working document outlining the state of knowledge on the carrying and use of weapons in violence in the UK. The paper outlines the limited research on this topic and discusses how research findings from other parts of the world can and cannot be generalised to the UK. The paper list thirteen unanswered questions that are important to the understanding, harm reduction and prevention of weapon violence in the UK. Each of the twelve questions is accompanied by a very brief summary of the literature.