Prosecutions for Violent Offences in Selected English, Australian and New Zealand Petty Sessions' Courts, 1880-1914

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.Violent crime has provided a major focus for the study of inter-personal relationships and a range of related research areas in the fields of history, criminology and sociology. However, somewhat surprisingly, the extent, character and 'meanings' of violence in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries have been relatively ignored. Yet during the period 1880 to 1920 prosecuted violent offences in magistrates' courts fell by over 75 per cent to their lowest ever level. Such statistics immediately provoke questions for social scientists. Can we accept that there was a seismic shift in behavioural norms across society? Alternatively, did governmental administrative/economic expediencies produce a 'mirage' of declining violence? Both theories have been advanced for the decline in homicide rates since the 18th century. This project uses a range of sources/methods to examine changes in real incidence and prosecutorial strategies, and, through study of cities in Australia and New Zealand, steps beyond English socio-cultural contexts to complete a truly comparative project which fully explores violent crime in the fin de siecle period.Main Topics:The data collection comprises details of violent offences from selected petty sessions jurisdictions in England, Australia and New Zealand. The offences include: common assault; threats and threatening behaviour; assaulting a peace officer; abusive, insulting and violent language; indecent assault; rape; manslaughter; malicious wounding; actual and grievous bodily harm; attempted murder; and murder. For each prosecution details are recorded on: the date of the proceeding; the offence; the sex of the accused and victim; related cases; relationship between accused and victim; whether it is a police or private prosecution; whether there was a summons or warrant of arrest; whether the offence was alcohol related; the age of the accused and the victim; whether a separation order was granted or not; the result of the proceedings; the penalty imposed if any; and the original plea if indicated. Please note: this study does not include information on named individuals and would therefore not be useful for personal family history research.