New study identifies differences in injuries resulting from family violence and community violence

Research on violence is often based on police statistics and reports. However, researchers from the University of Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital have used hospital data to examine differences and similarities between types of violence in terms of age, sex, injury patterns, injury location and the victim’s relationship to the perpetrator.

- We compared family violence, where the perpetrator is a current or former partner or family member, with community violence involving friends, acquaintances or strangers. This is likely the first hospital-based study to directly compare family violence and community violence using hospital data, says Christian Færgemann, clinical associate professor at the Department of Clinical Research and Odense University Hospital.

Clear differences emerged between the two forms of violence. Nearly four out of five victims of family violence were women, while three out of four victims of community violence were men. Family violence occurred predominantly in private homes, whereas community violence mainly took place in streets, public spaces, or in and around restaurants, bars and shops.

Differences in injury patterns

The most common injuries in both groups were superficial injuries such as bruises and cuts to the face and head. However, the researchers also found some important differences.

People exposed to family violence more frequently sustained injuries to the neck, chest, abdomen, arms and legs. Victims of community violence, by contrast, more often suffered fractures, including skull fractures, and perpetrators used blunt weapons more than twice as often as in cases of family violence.

– Knowledge of typical injury patterns can help healthcare professionals make more informed initial assessments of patients exposed to violence, says Christian Færgemann.

No difference in injury severity

Although the injury patterns differed, the researchers found no significant difference in injury severity. Around one in ten patients in both groups sustained serious injuries.

One particular group stood out.

A small group of patients did not wish to disclose who had subjected them to violence. These patients were more likely to have sustained serious injuries than those in the other groups. The researchers suggest that there may be several possible explanations, but the study does not allow them to determine the reason.

Findings may help healthcare professionals

Overall, the findings are consistent with previous studies showing that family violence more often affects women in the home, while community violence primarily affects men in public spaces. However, the Danish study found less use of weapons than has been reported in several international studies.

The new Danish study provides more detailed knowledge about injury types and the location of injuries on the body.

The researchers emphasise that the study only includes people who sought hospital treatment after experiencing violence. Less serious incidents that did not result in hospital contact are therefore not included in the analysis. In addition, the information is based on the patients’ own accounts of the incidents.

- The study provides important knowledge about the types of injuries healthcare professionals can expect to encounter following different forms of violence. This may be useful both for planning treatment and for the clinical assessment of patients, says Christian Færgemann.

- It would be interesting to combine hospital data with information from the police and forensic investigations. This could provide a more complete picture of violent incidents, including cases where victims do not wish to identify the perpetrator.