Stabbing

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A detail from The Haywain Triptych by Hieronymus Bosch

A stabbing is the penetration of a sharp or pointed object at close range. Stab connotes purposeful action, as by an assassin or murderer, but it is also possible to accidentally stab oneself or others, although such stabbings are rarely serious and still more rarely fatal. Stabbing differs from slashing or cutting in that the motion of the object used in a stabbing generally moves perpendicular to and directly into the victim's body, rather than being drawn across it.

Stabbings today are common among gangs and in prisons because knives are cheap, easy to acquire (or manufacture), and highly concealable. The threat of stabbing is perhaps the most common form of robbery. The stabbing method of choice for today's street gang member is the "juke," in which the stabbing weapon is inserted into the victim (usually in a soft area like the abdomen), turned, and withdrawn, which produces a semi-circular wound.^{[citation needed]}

History

After being attacked and stabbed, empress Elisabeth of Bavaria boarded a ship, unaware of the severity of her condition as consequence of an acute stress reaction. Bleeding to death from a puncture wound to the heart, Elisabeth's last words were, "What happened to me?"

Stabbings have been common throughout human history, and were the means used to assassinate a number of distinguished historical figures, such as Julius Caesar and the Roman Emperor Caligula.

The historical practice of stabbing oneself deliberately in ritual suicide is known as seppuku (more colloquially hara-kiri- literally "belly-cutting" since it involves cutting open the abdomen). The ritual is very highly codified and the person committing suicide is assisted by a "second" who is entrusted to decapitate them cleanly (and thus expediate death and prevent an undignified spectacle) once they have made the abdominal wound.

Mechanism

The human skin has a somewhat elastic property as a self-defense; when the human body is stabbed by a thin object such as a kitchen knife, the skin often closes tightly around the object and closes again if the object is removed, which can trap some blood within the body. Some have speculated^[who?] that the fuller, an elongated concave depression in a metal blade, functions to let blood out of the body in order to cause more damage. This misconception has led to fullers becoming widely known as "blood grooves". The fuller is actually a structural reinforcement of the blade similar in design to a metal "I" beam used in construction. However, internal bleeding is just as dangerous as external bleeding; if enough blood vessels are severed to cause serious injury, the skin's elasticity will do nothing to prevent blood from exiting the circulatory system and accumulating uselessly in other parts of the body.

Death from stabbing is caused by shock, severe blood loss, infection, or loss of functioning of an essential organ such as the heart or lungs.

Statistics

The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United Kingdom and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page.

Stabbings are the most common form of murder in Britain, where firearms — except certain shotguns and sporting rifles — are outlawed.

Of the 839 homicides in England and Wales in 2005, 29% involved sharp instruments including knives, blades and swords. Firearms account for just 9% of murders in Britain. The murder rate in Britain is 15 per million people.^{[citation needed]}

The US murder rate is 55 per million, according to the FBI. Of those, 70% of murders were committed with firearms; just 14% involved knives or cutting instruments.^{[citation needed]}

In London alone, there were 12,589 knife-related crimes in 2007. Police say the most likely people to carry knives are males ages 15 to 18.^{[citation needed]}

Commonly used weapons or objects for stabbing purposes

• Knife
• Stiletto
• Shiv or shank
• Sword
• Spear
• Bayonet
• Scissors
• Ice pick
• Hatpin
• Pen
• Pencil
• Toothpick
• Compass
• Hypodermic needle
• Knitting needle
• Screwdriver
• Corkscrew
• Dagger

Objects common in accidental stabbings

• Glass, such as in a window through which the victim accidentally walks or falls
• Rebar and other metal construction materials
• Nails, which pierce the victim's foot
• Drill bits
• Fingernails and toenails (albeit with sharp nails)

See also

• Impalement
• Stabbing victims

References