Cardiff University have published findings to indicate that admissions for assault for the 51-60 age group in the UK have increased. The authors believe this is often linked to binge drinking and the violence associated with alcohol use. Nearly 21,000 people over 51 went to A and E in 2019 for violence related injuries. These results are based on 111 A and E departments, minor injury and walk in units in the UK. Most victims who were assaulted had been hit, punched or kicked.
The authors found the results difficult to explain but thought it was most likely they reflected growing levels of drinking among this age group. They focused on drinkers in this age group who were binge drinking and continuing to drink at similar levels to when they were younger in the 1980’s and 1990’s. They also emphasise that binge drinking and violence were associated more frequently 3-4 decades ago.
These findings also show that there was a small increase in the number of women who were attacked and injured and overall a rise of more than 5% among both men and women aged 51 and over. These results seem to contradict other evidence though; for example The National Violence Surveillance Network (NVSN) survey has recorded a near consistent downward trend in violent crime since it was launched in 2002. This indicates there is a complex picture based on data from different sources, changing methodologies for data collection and populations.