Research Approach

• Attitudes to crime, crime reduction and community safety in Northern Ireland were investigated using a social survey approach, combining findings from three Omnibus surveys (November 1998 and February and May 1999), supplemented by available data from the Community Attitudes Survey 6th Report 1999 and the Northern Ireland Crime Survey. Each survey was conducted throughout Northern Ireland using a probability sample drawn from the Valuation and Lands Agency list of private addresses.

Main Findings

Perceptions About Crime in Northern Ireland

• Most people believe that there is less crime in Northern Ireland than in Great Britain and that there is less crime in their own area than in the rest of Northern Ireland.
• Most people think that the crime rate has increased over the past two years.
• On average, people believe that approximately half of all crime involves violence, that around 4 in 10 crimes are cleared up and that one third of men have a criminal record by the time they reach 40 years of age.
• Less than 1 in 10 people believe that crime is committed primarily by young offenders, but more than 2 in 3 think that young males are responsible for most crime by young offenders.
• A majority of people thought that there had been an increase in the numbers of both male and female young offenders, but the perceived increase in male young offenders was greater for female young offenders.

Attitudes Towards Sentencing in Northern Ireland

• Most people think that sentences should be tougher than at present.
• Most people think that both the police and the courts are too lenient when dealing with young offenders.
• Around half of people think that the police and the courts do not have enough ways of dealing with young offenders.
• When presented with a crime scenario involving a burglary, almost half of all people would recommend imprisonment and almost half of those who recommend imprisonment would like the sentence to be at least 12 months.
• Custodial sentences are less popular when dealing with first-time young offenders but persistent offenders attract higher support for custodial sentences.
• Three-quarters of people would be prepared to participate in a meeting to help decide what would happen if a young person was to steal something from them.

Crime Reduction and Community Safety in Northern Ireland

• Almost 2 in 3 people believe that sentencing has had an effect on changing crime rates in Northern Ireland, and half of those who think this is the case believe sentencing has had a major role, though not the most important one.
• Increased discipline in the family is both the most commonly suggested crime reduction measure (mentioned by more than half the people) and the one rated 'most important' by the greatest proportion of people (around 1 in 5).
• Only 2% of people are involved in crime prevention activities in the community and less than half of all respondents say they would be willing to become involved in crime prevention initiatives.