According to findings from the 2012/13 and 2013/14 Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW), Victims perceived the offender(s) to be under the influence of alcohol in 53% of violent incidents in 2013/14. This is equivalent to an estimated 704,000 ‘alcohol-related’ violent incidents. While the volume of incidents has fallen, the proportion of violent incidents that were ‘alcohol-related’ has remained relatively steady over the last ten years.
Alcohol was a particularly prevalent factor in violent incidents between strangers, 64% of which were perceived to be alcohol-related.
In the combined datasets of the 2012/13 and 2013/14 CSEW, 70% of violent incidents occurring at the weekend, and 70% of violent incidents occurring in the evening or night, were alcohol-related.
The proportions of violent incidents that were alcohol-related increased as the afternoon and evening progressed, from 23% of violent incidents occurring between noon and 6pm, to 52% were between 6pm and 10pm and 83% occurred between 10pm and midnight.
Those who drank alcohol or visited pubs and bars regularly were more likely to be victims of crime where the offender was perceived to be under the influence, as were 16-24 year-olds (illustrated).
This information is taken from Chapter 5 of The Office for National Statistics ‘Focus on Violent Crime and Sexual Offences‘, which presents findings from the 2012/13 and 2013/14 Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW) on violent incidents where alcohol has been a factor. Additional analysis is also provided from the Home Office Data Hub, a record level dataset of police recorded offences.