Homicides involving knives and other sharp objects in Scotland, 1981-2003

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Criminology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Homicide rates in Scotland show an increasing trend.
• Homicides involving knives are a significant and growing concern.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in homicide rates in Scotland.
• To specifically examine the rise in homicides involving knives and other sharp objects.

Main Methods:

• Utilized mortality and population data from 1981 to 2003.
• Calculated smoothed, standardized mortality rates for all homicides and knife-related homicides.
• Analyzed data for Scotland overall and for Glasgow specifically.

Main Results:

• The overall homicide rate increased by 83% over the 20-year period.
• Homicides involving knives and sharp objects increased by 164%.
• Knives were involved in over half of male homicides.

Conclusions:

• The sharp increase in knife-related homicides constitutes a public health problem.
• Current legislative proposals are unlikely to mitigate this rise in violence.