NCJ Number
245239
Journal
International Journal of Criminology and Sociology Volume: 2 Dated: 2013 Pages: 169-179
Date Published
2013
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article aims to contribute to the understanding of circumstances, causes of initiation, and process of escalation of physical disputes or fights resulting in physical injury.
Abstract
The authors analyzed data from a case-control study of perpetrators of violence between the ages of 15 to 24 (n=373) in the city of Medellin, Colombia. The findings show that 89 percent of conflicts resulting in injury took place in public places and most often involved males (78 percent). Six percent involved the consumption of alcohol, 20 percent reported having used illicit drugs before the initiation of the confrontation. Circa 50 percent of disputes began because of verbal aggression. Alcohol consumption was found to be associated with verbal aggression towards a friend or companion but not to other circumstances that start disputes. Drug use was not associated with the initiation of disputes. In 18.5 percent of the cases, a weapon was used while 5 percent of these disputes ended in a homicide. In none of the cases in which homicide was the outcome was there bystander intervention. In contrast, homicide did not result in the cases in which bystanders intervened. (Published Abstract)