ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with some basic statistics on violent crime in England and Wales. It discusses in turn domestic violence, gang-related violence and the two selected kinds of violence against strangers, in each case drawing out key characteristics and their relevance for preventive interventions, as well as exploring the research literature for evidence of effectiveness. The chapter discusses some brief thoughts about general messages that can be taken from our review of the literature, and about possible future directions for research and practice. It addresses the possibility that the legal system can ameliorate the prevalence and impact of domestic violence and abuse. The two main sources of data about the extent of violent crime in England and Wales are statistics based on offences recorded by the police, and estimated figures based on responses to the Crime Survey of England and Wales. Gang-related violence refers to violence committed by or amongst gang members.
