Homicide and Assault Injuries as a Public Health Problem in New York State

BACKGROUND:  

Homicide and assault are commonly thought of as a problem for the criminal justice system, however, homicide and assault also are a significant public health.  In fact, homicide is the second leading cause of death for New Yorkers ages 15-34 years old.  Assaults affect the quality of the victim’s life and can result in long-term diminished health, job changes, loss of income and depression.

METHODS:  

NYS vital statistics death files, inpatient and outpatient hospital discharge data and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses and Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries were used to track the incidence of assault-related injuries and deaths for New York residents and workers during the period 2008-2010. 

RESULTS:  

Homicides among New Yorkers resulted in an annual average of 832 deaths and 14 work-related fatalities.  In addition, there was an annual average of 94,610 residents treated at a hospital for assault-related injuries – 9,273 of these people required inpatient stay.  The rate of assault-related hospitalizations was over 3.5-times higher for New Yorkers living in poverty areas.  Assault injuries resulted in over $404 million in medical charges. While all age groups are at risk to be victims of violence, adolescents and young adults ages 15-24 have the highest rates of homicide and assault-related injury.  Disparities in assault-related hospitalizations were also observed between racial and ethnic groups in NYS: Black non-Hispanics had 7.5-times greater risk than White Non-Hispanics; Hispanics had 3.1-times greater risk than White Non-Hispanics.  For work-related assault injuries, an annual average of 4,750 workers required treatment at a hospital, 110 of which were injured severely enough to require an inpatient stay.  Work-related assaults tend to occur at the highest rates among the 35-44 year olds. The rate of assault-related hospitalizations was over 3.5-times higher for New Yorkers living in poverty areas.

CONCLUSIONS:  

Homicide and assault continue to be a significant public health problem in NY.  The surveillance of assault-related injuries in NYS is part of a public health approach that will allow for targeted implementation of programs and interventions to prevent assault-related morbidity and mortality.  The disparities in the incidence emphasize the continued need to make NYS safer for all of its residents and workers.