Some statistics to get people thinking! (All from the UK)

-Young men are at almost four times greater risk of being a victim of violence than the rest of the adult population.

-Violence impacts upon public feelings of safety: 17 per cent
of adults report that they have high levels of worry about
violent crime.

-More than 45 per cent of violent offenders are thought to be under the influence of alcohol.

-Violent crime has fallen by around nine per cent since 2002-03,
but more serious violence has not fallen by as much as less significant types of violence.

Source: http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/0708/reducing_the_risk_of_violent_c.aspx

-Throughout the last decade many more people thought that their local crime rate had been increasing than thought it had been decreasing (http://www.poverty.org.uk/87/f.png)

I found this very interesting:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stat...-violent-crime-
Some info:
Of all violent crime:
-14% domestic violence
-16& muggings
-34% committed by acquantence
-35% by stranger

This I thought was very interesting when considering how much force one might use:
Of all violent crime:
-22% Minor injury
-42% Assault without injury
-24% Wounding

definition of wounding: Injuries include broken bones, severe bruising and severe cuts