Serious violence continues to fall

Violence injuries requiring casualty treatment fell 4 per cent in England and Wales in 2011, according to the University's annual study of injury trends. An estimated 307,998 people were admitted to accident and emergency units for violence-related injuries, 10,879 fewer than in 2010. The study shows that the previous two years' worrying rise in violence against children appears to have reversed. It also reveals violence has fallen faster in Wales than in England since the 1990s, almost closing the gap between the two nations. The annual survey is based on a structured sample of 42 Emergency Departments and Minor Injury Units across England and Wales. All units are certified members of the National Violence Surveillance Network run by the award-winning Violence and Society Research Group. This year's 4 per cent decrease is in line with consistent falls in the violence rate every year except one since the study began in 2001.