Scotland has a bleak and embarrassing history with violence.

In 2005, a United Nations report named Scotland as the most violent country in the developed world. You were 3x more likely to be a victim of assault in Glasgow than you were in America. Glasgow was dubbed the “Murder Capital of Europe” with a murder rate higher than Romania and Albania. Scotland’s rate of Deaths by Violence was almost double that of our neighbouring countries in the United Kingdom.

Fortunately now, violence in Scotland is at a 50 year low – but we can never take the foot off the gas.

Global Violence

Worldwide, interpersonal violence (fighting) is the 4th most common cause of death. For every one person killed in a war, 10 will be killed through interpersonal violence.

For every fatality, a further 20-40 people are injured worldwide and require medical attention. Annually, some 470,000 people die from homicide globally with hundreds of millions more suffering from non-fatal forms of violence including youth violence, elder abuse, child abuse and domestic violence.

Around the world, young men aged 15-29 years are most commonly affected by interpersonal violence.

Scotland’s violent past

Scotland’s homicide rate has more than halved in under 20 years.

In the early 2000s, homicide rates in Scotland were persistently high which tarnished the country with its international reputation for violence.

Violence has been on a steady decline since 2004 – YOU are doing better than the generation before you!