Assault-related admissions to hospital in Central Australia

Objective: To determine the number of assault-related admissions to hospital in the Central Australia region of the Northern Territory over a six-year period. Design and setting: Retrospective analysis of all patients admitted to Alice Springs Hospital (ASH) and Tennant Creek Hospital (TCH) from July 1995 to June 2001, where the primary cause of injury was assault. Main outcome measures: Frequency of assault-related admission to hospital; demographic characteristics of the victims. Results: in the six years, there were 2449 assault-related admissions to ASH and 545 to TCH. Adults aged 25-34 years were most frequently hospitalised for assault, in a proportion greater than their proportion in the NT population, Females represented 59.7% of people admitted to ASH and 54.7% to TCH, greater than their proportion in the NT population. Aboriginals comprised 95.2% of ASH and 89.0% of TCH admissions, and were admitted in a significantly greater proportion than their proportion in the NT population (P < 0.001). The age-adjusted hospital admission rate resulting from assault has increased (P = 0.002) at an average rate of 1.6 (SE, 0.2) per 10 000 people per year. The proportion of assault-related admissions associated with alcohol has also increased significantly (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The frequency of assault-related admissions to hospital, especially among the Aboriginal population, suggests that this major public health issue is escalating

The Licensing Act 2003 and the Problematization of the Night-time Economy: Planning, Licensing and Subcultural Closure in the UK

Nightlife historically has been viewed as a social problem to be contained by licensing, policing and the management of supply. In the context of recent trends towards deregulation of hours and supply, fears have again resurfaced as to the detrimental impact of the 'night-time economy' on street disorder and violence, concerns that have focused attention on the Licensing Act 2003. Utilizing a case study of the regulation of nightlife in the London locality of Southview, this article will explore how there has been ongoing and renewed attention on the problems associated with the night-time economy centred on differentiating between risky and safe cultural and economic forms. The article will argue that the Licensing Act represents a consolidation of over a decade of regulatory change that has 'reordered' regulatory approaches to nightlife; one that has, in combination with other aspects of economic, social and cultural change, been productive of 'subcultural closure'. Copyright (c) 2006 The Authors. Journal Compilation (c) 2006 Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Systematic observation of barroom incidents in a large Montreal venue

On the basis of previous studies by Macintyre and Homel and Winlow et al, this article utilizes systematic observation in order to describe and understand the pattern of incidents on a micro level – the barroom. Systematic observation combines ethnography with a quantitative outlook. This research counts, locates and describes incidents within a single building over a substantial period of time. For a period of 258 nights of observation in a Canadian barroom, bouncers completed reports on each intervention and provided specific information regarding what happened, when and where within the venue. We can distinguish (1) incivilities and violations of house rules, (2) violent criminal behavior, and (3) non-violent criminal behavior. Incidents are unevenly distributed, producing internal hotspots and ‘rush hours’. Shifting hotspots are evident, moving from the entrance and table areas earlier in the evening towards the ‘carousing’ zone (bars, dance floor and its proximity) later in the night. The barroom is highly dynamic, with long peaceful periods interrupted by sudden incidents. The barroom’s routine activities modulate the work of its security personnel. Knowing these internal patterns can support and guide responsible drinking programs and situational crime prevention initiatives