2008
Jonathan Shepherd
Prevention of injuries caused by crime in public places.
Shepherd was honoured for developing methods to prevent violence associated with alcohol consumption. His research showed, among other things, that drinking glasses used in pubs were often used as weapons. By experiments replacing standard glasses with those designed to shatter entirely, he showed that injuries to the face and teeth in pub fights could be reduced by 70 per cent. More broadly, he developed a framework for analysing public areas of nighttime gatherings, which could be used by police and others to prevent alcohol-related violence.Jonathan Shepherd
Born 1949 in the UK. Jonathan Shepherd was professor at the University of Cardiff School of Dentistry (United Kingdom) at the time of the award.
Showed that even when violence cannot be prevented its harmful effects can be reduced.Showed that even when violence cannot be prevented its harmful effects can be reduced.
Broken glassware led to changes in legislation
Jonathan Shepherd was awarded the 2008 Stockholm Prize in Criminology for his research on pub violence that has had a major impact on policy decisions focused on crime prevention.
Shepherd’s research has prompted the UK glass industry to switch its production to tempered glassware, resulting in a major decrease in facial and dental injuries among pub-goers. He has relentlessly applied this research evidence in many countries, promoting local partnerships to combat crime and disorder in the pub environments. His plans were incorporated in UK legislation that preceded a major drop in violent crimes after the British government provided funding for a national strategy in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
Developed a measure of violence
Shepherd also helped develop a national measure of violence by linking hospital data with police data on reported crimes and data from victim surveys.
His research further contributed to improving treatment for crime victims suffering post-traumatic stress caused by incidents of violence (the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004).