Individual-Level and Socio-Structural Characteristics of Violence: An Emergency Department Study

• NCJ Number: 237076
• Journal: Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 23 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2008 Pages: 1011-1026
• Author(s): Douglas J. Boyle; Constance Hassett-Walker
• Date Published: August 2008
• Length: 16 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey (HFNJ)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

In this article, the authors present a data collection system to provide information about assault-related injuries within Newark, NJ.

Abstract

In 2001, Emergency Department (ED) staff at the six hospitals providing emergency medical care within the city collected data on all assault-related ED visits. Individual-level (n = 1,204) and neighborhood-level (n = 262) analyses were conducted; the latter used data from the 2000 U.S. Census. A hotspots map was also generated. At the individual level, one in three ED patients was assaulted by an intimate partner or other family member. In addition, African-American males were disproportionately likely to be treated for assault-related injuries. At the socio-structural level, as hypothesized based on Social Disorganization Theory, hierarchical regression analyses reveal that poorer neighborhoods with more vacant housing units have significantly higher rates of assault-related injuries. (Published Abstract)