Major drop in Swiss violence-related cases over last decade

There was a surge in violence among young men from 1995 to around 2008. Keystone / Matthias Schrader

The number of violence-related cases among male youth has dropped 60% since 2008 according to the Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund (Suva). While the number of injuries is also down, treatment costs indicate injuries are more serious.

The latest statisticsExternal link from SuvaExternal link revealed a positive reversal in cases of violence among men aged 15-24. In 2008, the number of violence-related cases reached a peak of 3,600 – or 14 cases of violence per 1,000 people. In 2015, numbers declined and have remained stable reaching 1,600 cases in 2017 – or 6 per 1,000 people.

This was the most significant drop in violence-related cases across all age and gender categories recorded, according to Suva.

Among women, the rate of violence also rose from 1995 to 2008, but at a much lower level and not at such a dramatic rate. According to the statistics, the number of cases have remained relatively stable over the last decade at around 2.5 cases per 1,000.

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While the number of people injured from violence-related cases has also declined, treatment costs increased an average of 98% in the last two decades – a sign that injuries are more serious according to Suva. Cases of violence were also more concentrated on weekends than two decades ago.

Across all categories, there were 855,000 accident insurance claims in 2018 – some 2.7% more than in 2017. This includes 274,000 work-related accidents or illnesses, some 565,000 accidents outside the workplace and some 16,000 accidents for those who are not covered by employee accident insurance.

Suva’s annual statistics compile and evaluate the accident data of all accident insurers in the country. In Switzerland, employers generally provide insurance for accidents that happen at work and outside of work. People who are unemployed can receive accident insurance on the private market.