Predictors And Severity Of Injury In Assaults With Barglasses And Bottles

This article aims to identify predictors and relative severity of glass and bottle injury by scrutiny of a random sample of 1288 criminal injury compensation applications. Injury site, severity, treatment and demographic characteristics of victims and assailants were studied with reference to awards from the UK National Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. The paper concludes that assaults with bottles caused less serious injury and resulted in lower compensation costs. Injury distribution was linked to victim gender and weapon choice, but not to assailant gender. Prevention strategies should focus on both bottle and glass assaults and should take account of the setting and time in which drinking occurs.