Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland: Monitoring Framework, 2025
Monitoring framework to support the delivery of the Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland.
Part of
2. Reduction in Common assault
Common assault is the act of assault which occasions minor injury or no injury. This indicator theme acknowledges that Common assault makes up the majority of non-sexual violence recorded by the police and seeks to show how changes in the volume of Common assault impact the overall trend for Non-sexual violent crime.
2.1 Number of recorded crimes of Common assault
Figure 7: Common assault makes up the majority of recorded non-sexual crimes of violence; it has been at a similar level since 2012-13 (except for a Covid-19 related low in 2020-21) and is 20% lower than in 2008-09.
Common assault recorded by the police, Scotland, 2008-09 to 2024-25.
Source: Scottish Government - Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2024-25.
Common assault makes up the majority of Non-sexual crimes of violence recorded by the police (83% in 2024-25). It has been at a similar level since 2012-13 (except for a Covid-19 related low in 2020-21) and is 20% lower than in 2008-09. Between 2023-24 and 2024-25, recorded crimes of Common assault decreased by <1% from 59,314 to 59,230 crimes. There was a 1% increase over the 10 year period between 2015-16 and 2024-25, from 58,596 to 59,230 crimes. Due to the size of this crime category within the group, any changes to the trend in Common assault will impact the trend for Non-sexual crimes of violence (measure 1.1).
2024-25 is the first year where all crimes of Common assault have been divided into two categories: with and without injury[26]. In 2024-25, of the 59,230 common assaults recorded, two thirds (66%) were recorded as common assault without injury, while a third (34%) of common assaults resulted with injury.
In 2024-25, around two thirds (67%) of distinct accused persons of crimes of Common assault cleared up[27] by the police were aged 25 and older. Of the 27,320 distinct accused persons of these crimes, 37% (9,973) were aged 25-39, 26% (7,073) were aged 40 to 59, 18% (5,000) were aged 16 to 24, 13% (3,510) were aged 12 to 15 and 4% (1,133) were aged 60 and over[28]. The number of distinct accused per 10,000 population was highest for those aged 12 to 15 (141 per 10,000) and lowest for those aged 60 and over (7 per 10,000). The number of distinct accused per 10,000 population was 92 for those aged 25-39, 84 for those aged 16 to 24, and 49 for those aged 40 to 59.
[26] For the definition of Common assault with/without injury, please see the Glossary or User Guide to Recorded Crime: 2024-25.
[27] To note data reported here on age of accused is for crimes of Common assault cleared up by the police, whereas the data used for the indicator measure is for all crimes of Common assault recorded by the police.
[28] The age was other or unknown for 631 (2%) of distinct accused persons in 2024-25. ‘Other or unknown’ includes persons under the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland and accused persons with age undisclosed by Police Scotland.
Contact
Email: Justice_Analysts@gov.scot