Violence in the Night-time Economy: Key Findings From the Research

• NCJ Number: 205187
• Author(s): Andrea Finney
• Date Published: 2004
• Length: 6 pages
• Corporate Author: Great Britain Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate
• Sale Source: Great Britain Home Office
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: Home Office Findings, #214

Annotation

This paper presents key findings from published British and international research on violence in the "night-time economy" (violent behavior in and around pubs and clubs on weekend nights) and its relation to alcohol use.

Abstract

The research review stems from the view that violent behavior in and around British pubs and clubs on weekend nights constitutes a significant public health, criminal justice, and urban management problem. In many of these incidents, alcohol consumption has been a factor. The research reviewed in this paper has consistently found that the peak time for violent offending has been weekend nights, and the peak location has been in and around pubs and clubs (Allen et al., 2003). Such violence has typically involved young men who were either strangers to one another or did not know each other well. Resulting injuries were often to the face, some of which were inflicted with glass. Most incidents involved drinking by the offender, victim, or both (Murdoch et al., 1990), with alcohol consumption contributing to violent behavior in many direct and indirect ways (Graham et al., 1998). Factors that contributed to a high risk for violence in and around pubs and clubs included inconvenient access routes, poor ventilation, overcrowding, and permissive social environments. These conditions tended to be fostered by pub/club policies and staff behavior (Homel et al., 2001). Violence outside the pubs/clubs may be associated with large numbers of intoxicated pub/club patrons congregating and competing for limited food and transport facilities (Marsh and Fox-Kibby, 1992). This paper recommends that future research address whether people who are violent in the "night-time economy" are also violent in other contexts; the personal risk factors for involvement in such violence; situational prevention measures; and the relative extent to which alcohol-related violence outside pubs/clubs follows consumption of alcohol purchased in pubs/clubs. 28 references