Alcohol
Alcohol is associated with most incidents of violence. Being drunk increases your risk for being both a perpetrator and a victim. Over 80% of victims with facial injuries in Scotland were drinking when they were assaulted.
Alcohol is a depressant, not a stimulant. Later on in this e-Learning you’ll learn more about its effect on our bodies.
Alcohol makes people more impulsive and more likely to take risks; it reduces self-control and the ability to rationalise decisions. People often become more aggressive when they are drinking. Over 75% of young offenders were drunk at the time of committing an offence.
Carrying weapons
People caught carrying knives often say they think carrying will keep them safe.
It won’t. In fact, having a weapon makes it more likely that you’ll either use it – or have it used against you.
In Scotland, arrests for carrying weapons have been on a steady decline over the past decade. Possession of an offensive weapon has dropped by a staggering 79% in the last ten years! And gladly so – possessing a weapon can see you imprisoned for up to 5 years. Anyone caught carrying a knife without a reasonable excuse will be arrested and prosecuted.
It’s becoming far less socially acceptable to carry knives and especially amongst the young. Most people who are found carrying knives tend to be older, in their late 20s and early 30s – a generation which has become so used to carrying.
Being young and male
Over 78% of A&E attendances with injuries related to violence are men, and most are under the age of 30.
Why do you think being young and male increases your chance of being either a victim or perpetrator of violence?
