A survey of ordinary people's experience of crime, carried out in Scotland during 2002, showed an increase in crime experience compared with the previous survey in 1999. This survey indicated more significant increases in vandalism, bicycle theft and 'other household theft' than those recorded by the police. There was no statistically significant change in the incidence of violent crime (robbery and assault) between 1999 and 2002.
Source: Susan McVie, Siobhan Campbell and Korin Lebov, Scottish Crime Survey 2003, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release (1) | SE press release (2)
Date: 2004-Dec
The Northern Ireland Office published findings from the 2003-04 Northern Ireland Crime Survey. Over half (52 per cent) of respondents felt that crime had increased a little or a lot in their local area in the previous two years.
Source: P. Campbell and B. French, Perceptions of and Concern about Crime in Northern Ireland: Findings from the 2003/04 Northern Ireland Crime Survey, Research and Statistical Bulletin 6/2004, Statistics and Research Branch/Northern Ireland Office (028 9052 7534)
Links: Report (pdf) | NIO press release
Date: 2004-Dec
An audit report said that only 17 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales had so far fully implemented nationally recommended changes to the way they recorded crime.
Source: Crime Recording: Improving the quality of crime records in police authorities and forces in England and Wales, Audit Commission (0800 502030)
Links: Report | Audit Commission press release | Home Office press release | ACPO press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Dec
A report said that half of all young people would be a victim of crime or aggressive behaviour by the time they reached 16 years old.
Source: Youth Insight Report, Norwich Union (0500 55 99 77)
Links: Crime Concern press release
Date: 2004-Oct
Between April 2003 and March 2004, the Crown Prosecution Service identified 103 cases of 'homophobic' offences. Of these, 59 resulted in a guilty plea and a further 14 resulted in conviction after trial: 73 cases - 71 per cent of the total - therefore resulted in a conviction. (This was the first occasion on which such data had been published.)
Source: Press release 10 August 2004, Crown Prosecution Service (020 7796 8000)
Links: CPS press release
Date: 2004-Aug
Crime in England and Wales fell by 5 per cent overall in 2003-04, according to the British Crime Survey. The government said that a fall of 3 per cent in violent crime shown by the BCS indicated that the 12 per cent rise in violent crime recorded by the police over the same period was due to more comprehensive police counting and recording of crime.
Source: Tricia Dodd, Sian Nicholas, David Povey and Alison Walker, Crime in England and Wales: 2003/2004, Statistical Bulletin 10/04, Home Office (020 7273 2084) | Press release 22 July 2004, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Bulletin (pdf) | Links to tables | Home Office press release | Civitas press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jul
A report summarised the findings of a study designed to enhance understanding of deprived, high-crime communities by exploring perceptions of the local area on the part of different groups living and working in the community. Each of the four areas surveyed was perceived by participants to have a bad reputation. This was exacerbated by the local media but sometimes reinforced by professional networks. Residents and children were generally positive about their areas but, from around the age of eight, children were critical of their environment. The single most important improvement demanded in all locations was the clean up of the local area. Also of importance to children were more play spaces, and safer play spaces.
Source: Margaret Camina, Understanding and Engaging Deprived Communities, Online Report 07/04, Home Office (web publication only)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Apr
A report presented the findings and key practice and policy implications from two research studies undertaken with children and young people living in areas of high crime and high deprivation.
Source: Jean Hine, Francesca Lemetti and Sara Trikha, Citizenship: Young people s perspectives, Development and Practice Report 10, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Apr
A report summarised the findings of a study (based in deprived, high-crime communities) designed to to explore children s understanding of social and moral responsibility, community involvement, and political literacy. Children generally understood the reasons for rules and accepted their legitimacy. The biggest complaint by children, particularly about the school environment, was that they were not listened to. Children were quick to spot unfairness, especially where they felt that rules were not being applied reasonably.
Source: Jean Hine, Children and Citizenship, Online Report 08/04, Home Office (web publication only)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Apr
The British Crime Survey showed no significant change in any of the main crime types in the 12 months to December 2003 compared with the previous 12 months. A linked report said that violent crime had fallen since 1995 and was stable.
Source: Olivia Christophersen, Katharine Thorpe and Anna Upson, Crime in England and Wales: Quarterly update to December 2003, Statistical Bulletin 06/04, Home Office (web publication only) | Celia Smith and Jonathan Allen, Violent Crimein England and Wales, Online Report 18/04, Home Office (web publication only)
Links: Bulletin (pdf) | Supplementary tables | Online report (pdf) | Home Office press release | ACPO press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Apr
A paper drew together the key findings of research on whether the risk factors for offending differed for males and females. Although important risk factors for brothers and sisters were similar, there were some gender differences: for example, socio-economic and child-rearing factors (such as low family income and poor parental supervision) were more important for sisters, and parental characteristics (such as nervous fathers and mothers) were more predictive of offending for brothers. A second paper by the same authors concluded that risk assessment using family factors was likely to be more accurate for females than for males.
Source: David Farrington and Kate Painter, Gender Differences in Risk Factors for Offending, Research Findings 196, Home Office (020 7273 2084) | David Farrington and Kate Painter, Gender Differences in Offending: Implications for risk-focused prevention, Online Report 09/04, Home Office (web publication only)
Links: Findings (pdf) | Online report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Feb
The number of people experiencing violence at work fell by 27 per cent between 1999 and 2003, according to the British Crime Survey. In a third of incidents, victims said that the offender was under the influence of alcohol. Workers such as healthcare staff and police officers were most at risk of violence at work, while science and technology workers were least at risk.
Source: Anna Upson, Violence at Work: Findings from the 2002/2003 BCS, Online Report 04/04, Home Office (web publication only)
Links: Report (pdf) | Home Office press release | HSE press release
Date: 2004-Feb
A research paper examined recorded child abductions in England and Wales in 2002-03, and the reasons for a large apparent increase in cases compared to 2001-02. More than half (56 per cent) of all child abductions recorded by the police involved an offender not known to the victim. 23 per cent were committed by a parent of the child. At least 6 per cent (probably considerably more) were sexually motivated. The report said the Home Office should monitor the number of child abductions recorded by the police closely, and should undertake further work on why these offences were increasing, if this continued to be the case.
Source: Geoff Newiss and Lauren Fairbrother, Child Abduction: Understanding police recorded crime statistics, Research Findings 225, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Findings (pdf)
Date: 2004-Feb