Sociodemographic profile and injury characteristics of interpersonal violence: An emergency department perspective from Western India.

BACKGROUND: Interpersonal violence (IPV) is a broad term that includes all types of physical assault, involving the use of physical force or power against others by an individual or small group. Due to regional differences in resources, laws, and access to weapons, various patterns of violence and their associated risk factors are present worldwide. This study aims to examine the socio-demographic profile and injury characteristics of IPV cases presented at a tertiary care hospital in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.

METHODOLOGY: An observational study was conducted among victims of IPV who reported to the trauma and emergency department of a tertiary care hospital in Rajasthan, India. A total of 243 cases were included in the study. Sociodemographic details of the individuals involved in IPV were collected, and various variables were defined according to the standard definitions of the Indian law and forensic literature.

RESULTS: Among 243 cases of IPV, 189 (77.8 %) involved males, and 54 (22.2 %) involved females. The average age of victims was 32 years ±12.3 years. A total of 87 victims (35.8 %) were classified as illiterate. The face was the most frequently affected area among all victims, accounting for 152 cases (23.3 % of the total body parts involved). About 8.1 % of victims had consumed alcohol or other substances at the time of the incident. 161 victims (66.2 %) reported experiencing physical assaults by individuals known to them. Among males, simple injuries were common, occurring in 145 cases (76.7 %), and the most common weapon used by perpetrators was a blunt weapon, involved in 157 cases (83.1 %). Among female victims as well, simple injuries were more frequent, seen in 48 cases (88.9 %), and the most were attacked with a blunt instrument, used in 49 cases (90.7 %). Univariate analysis showed that males had 1.281 (1.116-1.471) times higher odds of lacerations, 1.289 (1.204-1.379) times higher odds of stab wounds, 1.161 (1.017-1.324) times higher odds of being assaulted with a dangerous weapon, and 1.183 (1.028-1.363) times higher odds of alcohol or substance use at the time of the incident than females in IPV.

CONCLUSION: In this study, the young males tend to be the most common victims of IPV. These individuals are often subjected to attacks in outdoor settings during nighttime. Perpetrators more commonly used blunt weapons. Lacerations were the most common injuries. In two-thirds of the cases, the perpetrators were known to the victims. In more than one-tenth of the incidents, the victims had consumed alcohol at the time of the incident. Collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, law enforcement, community organizations, and policymakers, is necessary for a coordinated and comprehensive response to complex social and criminal issues, such as IPV.