Background
to the
Research
- The NICS is a major source
of information about levels of crime and public attitudes to crime.
- This bulletin focuses on
crime victimisation rates in NI for crimes affecting the whole household
and personal crime against respondents only. It contains comparisons
with the findings from NICS 1998, NICS 2001, and BCS 2003/04 (the
equivalent survey for England and Wales).
Research
Approach
- The survey comprised data given during
personal interviews that were carried out with 3,104 adults living
in private households throughout NI.
- For the most part, the interviewer-administered
modules for NICS 2003/04 were based on BCS 2003/04 and the self-completion
modules on BCS 2001/02. However, some modification was necessary to
reflect local issues. Respondents were asked to recall all relevant
incidents in the 12-month period prior to the interview.
Main
Findings
- 21.4% of respondents and their households
were victims of at least one crime during the 12 months prior to interview,
up 1.7 percentage points on the equivalent figure for NICS 2001, but
1.6 percentage points lower than that for NICS 1998.
- An estimated 295,000 incidents of crime
occurred during the 12 month recall periods for NICS 2003/04, up 13%
on NICS 2001 (262,000). While the number of property-related incidents
increased from 188,000 to 221,000, that for violent crime remained
at 74,000.
- The increase in the NICS crime victimisation
rate may seem inconsistent with the 10.2% fall in the level of crime
recorded by police, from 142,49 in 2002/03 to 127,953 in 2003/04,
however, it is important to note that recorded crime remains higher
than it was in 2000/01 (119, 912) and the 12-month recall periods
for most NICS 2003/04 respondents commenced during 2002/03.
- 41% of all NICS 2003/04 crimes were reported
to the police. Theft of a vehicle was most likely to be reported (89%),
followed by burglary with entry (86%), all burglary (75%) wounding
(67%), all vehicle-related theft (57%) and theft from a vehicle (50%).
- Victims of crime cited the most common
reasons for not reporting crime to the police as 'too trivial/no loss'
(33%), 'police could not have done anything' (32%), and 'police would
not have been bothered/interested' (24%).
- Increases occurred between NICS 2001 and
2003/04 in the proportions of households victimised by vandalism (from
6.4% to 7.1%), vehicle vandalism (from 3.4% to 3.6%), other vandalism
(from 3.3% to 3.8), all vehicle-related theft (from 5.0% to 5.2%),
theft from a vehicle (from 2.0% to 2.6%) and domestic burglary (2.0%
to 2.4%). Decreases occurred in the victimisation rates for theft
of a vehicle (from 1.4% to 1.2%), attempted theft of or from a vehicle
(from 1.7% to 1.5%) and other household theft (from 3.9% to 3.4%).
None of these changes were statistically significant.
- The risk of becoming a victim of crime
was higher in Belfast (32%) than in the East (20%) or West (19%) of
NI. Belfast respondents were also more likely to be the victim of
more than one crime (14%) than those in the East or West regions (both
7%).
- There were increases between NICS 2001
and NICS 2003/04 in the proportions of adults falling victim to common
assault (from 2.1% to 2.6%), stealth theft from the person (from 0.3%
to 1.0%) and mugging (from 0.4% to 0.6%). A decrease occurred in the
victimisation rate for wounding (from 1.1% to 0.5%). The changes in
stealth theft from the person and wounding were statistically significant.
- The most likely NICS 2003/04 victims of
domestic burglary were based in Belfast (4.7%) or contained heads
of household that were aged 16-24 (4.3%) or were single with child(ren)
(4.4%). Other respondents with above average rates for domestic burglary
included: those living in an area of high disorder/ant-social behaviour
(3.9%); people who don't own their own homes (3.8% for social renters
and 3.5% for private renters); and householders aged 75 and over (3.4%).
- Vehicle-owning households at most risk
of vehicle-related theft were those: living in Belfast (12.3%); where
the head of household was unemployed (12.1%); containing head of household
aged 16-24 (11.5%); that owned three or more vehicles (11.4%); who
privately rented (11.1%); with an income of less than £5,000 (10.0%);
or living in an area of high disorder/anti-social behaviour (9.8%).
- A comparison between NICS 2003/04 and
BCS 2003/04 shows that, while the risk of becoming a victim of crime
remains lower in NI (21.4%) than in England or Wales (25.7%), the
gap has narrowed. Whereas the victimisation rate in NI increased between
NICS 2001 and 2003/04, that in England and Wales fell between BCS
2001 and BCS 2003/04 from 27.5% to 25.7%.
- The results of BCS 2003/04 and NICS 2003/04
show that England and Wales had higher victimisation rates for both
household crime (20.0% v 16.1% in NI), and personal crime, including
violent and personal theft offences (7.3% v 6.3%). The largest differential
occurred in all vehicle-related theft, with rates for vehicle owners
being 9.7% in England and Wales and 6.6% in NI.
- Among the more likely NICS 2003/04 respondents
to be a recent victim of a violent crime were: people who had visited
a pub/bar more than 3 times per week in the last month (13.9%); those
living in an area with high physical disorder/anti-social behaviour
(8.3%); single adults with children (8.3%); young women aged 16-24
(7.9%); single people (7.7%); and young men aged 16-24 (6.5%).
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