Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland: Monitoring Framework, 2025

Annex 2: Glossary

Article with a blade or point

A knife or other sharply pointed object (including e.g., an axe or an improvised weapon with a razor attached).

Attempted murder

An intention to kill, or a wilful act so reckless as to show that the person who committed it was utterly regardless of the consequences.

Common assault

The act of assault which occasions minor injury or no injury. As published in the Recorded Crime in Scotland bulletin series, Common assault with injury includes any case where the victim sustained at least one of the following injuries: grazes; scratches; bruising; reddening of skin; swelling; black eye; broken nose (cartilage break but no corrective surgery); any non-visible injury causing more than a passing moment of pain or discomfort which has an adverse impact on the victim; any act causing infection (e.g. spitting or coughing).

Common assault without injury involves any deliberate attack upon the person by another that leaves no visible mark or injury, does not cause more than a passing moment of pain or discomfort, and has no adverse impact on the victim. Acts such as spitting or coughing at a person would also amount to a non-injury assault unless confirmed that the act caused an infection. For more information on the crimes included in Common assault, please see the User Guide to Recorded Crime Statistics in Scotland.

Distinct accused

A person who has been arrested in respect of a specific offence or a person who is suspected by the police of having committed the offence but is known to have died or committed suicide prior to arrest/being charged. If an accused person commits multiple of the same offence, they are counted once within each indicator measure.

Emergency hospital admission

This occurs when, for clinical reasons, a patient is admitted at the earliest possible time after seeing a doctor.

Harm

‘Harm’ is a subjective term that can be understood at different levels of the social-ecological framework. At individual level it varies according to personal experience and can encompass physical, emotional, social, economic, and psychological injury or damage.

Homicide

The killing of another person either by intent or acts with reckless disregard for the consequences. As published in the Homicide in Scotland bulletin series, collectively refers to crimes involving Murder or Culpable homicide.

Interpersonal Violence

As per the World Health Organisation typology of violence, refers to violence between individuals, subdivided into family and intimate partner violence (which includes child maltreatment; intimate partner violence; and elder abuse) and community violence (which includes youth violence; assault by strangers; violence related to property crimes; and violence in workplaces and other institutions).

Non-sexual violence or violent crime

Non-sexual violence includes a variety of Non-sexual offences that involve injury or the threat of injury, including Common assault, Serious assault and attempted murder, and Murder and Culpable homicide. Not all Non-sexual violent crimes result in physical contact between perpetrator and victim; for a crime to be considered as violent it suffices for the threat of physical injury to be present, such as an attempted assault. For more information on the crimes included in recorded crimes of Non-sexual violence, see section 16.3 of the User Guide to Recorded Crime Statistics in Scotland.

‘Violent crime/ violence’ as defined in the SCJS is similar to but distinct from Non-sexual crimes of violence recorded by the police and includes assault (serious assault, minor assault with injury, minor assault with no or negligible injury, and attempted murder) and robbery.

Offensive Weapon

Any article made or adapted for use in causing injury to a person, or intended by the person having it for such use. Includes articles with a blade or point (see above) when carried in public or used in a threatening way.

Serious assault

As published in the Recorded Crime in Scotland bulletin series, “an assault or attack in which the victim sustains injury resulting in detention in hospital as an inpatient, for the treatment of that injury, or any of the following injuries whether or not detained in hospital; fractures, internal injuries, severe concussion, or any other injury which may lead to impairment or disfigurement.”

Sexual crimes

Includes a range of Sexual crime categories including: Sexual assault, Rape and attempted rape, Causing to view sexual activity or images, Communicating indecently, Threatening to or disclosing intimate images, Indecent photos of children, Crimes associated with prostitution, and Other sexual offences.  For more information on the crimes included in Sexual crimes, please see section 16.3 of the User Guide to Recorded Crime Statistics in Scotland.

Victim

A person physically harmed or injured, or who has felt under threat of physical injury.