Teen girls living in most deprived areas ‘more likely to be assaulted’

WASHINGTON - A new study in UK has revealed that teen girls living in the most deprived areas are five times as likely to be assaulted as their affluent male and female peers.

Young men are twice as likely to be a victim of assault as young women, but the link between deprivation and assault is far stronger for their female peers, according to the study.

The researchers base their findings on emergency care records between October 2005 and September 2006 for the seven hospitals serving the three cities of Cardiff, Swansea, and Newport, and six feeder towns including Merthyr Tidfil, Caerphilly, Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot.

During the 12 months of the study, almost 1,500 children and teens up to the age of 17 were treated for assault injuries.

Rates of assault for boys and young men were similar in both cities and towns.

Those living in the most deprived areas - identified by postcode - were between 2 (towns) and 2.6 (cities) times as likely to be a victim of violence as those living in the most affluent areas.

Assault rates for boys and young men were twice as high as they were for girls and young women during the study period. The rates for girls were 6/1000 of the population in cities and 5.6/1000 in towns.

Girls in the most deprived city areas were more than 5 times as likely to be assaulted as their peers living in the most affluent areas. Those living in the most deprived areas of towns were almost three times as likely to be assaulted.

The finding was published online in Emergency Medicine Journal. (ANI)