Scottish Government
 Printable version
|
 E-mail this to a friend
|
Scottish Crime Survey 2006
Crime covered by the Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey (SCVS) increased by an estimated 13 per cent between 2003-04 and 2005-06, according a research report published today by the Scottish Government.
These figures are based on the 2006 SCVS, a household survey which measured personal and household crimes that occurred between April 2005 and March 2006. The purpose of the survey is to monitor the extent of victimisation in Scotland by asking respondents about their experiences of personal and household crime. Main findings in the SCVS report include:
- Around 1 in 5 people (22 per cent) had been the victim of at least one household or personal crime; there has been no statistically significant change in this figure in recent years
- Longer term, crime against households appear to have fallen, specifically housebreaking and theft from motor vehicles. Crime against the person has increased, mainly driven by the number of minor assaults recorded
- The total number of crimes estimated by the survey was higher than in 2003-04 mainly due to an increase in minor assaults. The number of household crimes was similar between the two sweeps of the survey
- The trends in household crime are similar to those identified in England and Wales. However, in England and Wales the incidence of violent crime (including assault) has remained constant in recent years
The survey also found that violence (robbery and minor/serious assaults) had increased, mainly driven by a rise in minor assault. Where victims were able to say anything about the person or people who committed the crime against them, 45 per cent said that the person/people were under the influence of alcohol. This proportion was higher for victims of personal crime and highest for incidents of assault (67 per cent).
Findings from the SCVS on drug misuse in Scotland in a separate report. Around 37 per cent of 16-59 year olds had taken one or more illicit drugs in their lifetime, while 17 per cent had used one or more Class A drug. Levels of current drug use were lower with 13 per cent of respondents having taken one ore more drugs in the past year, and 8 per cent in the past month.
Responding to the findings, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said:
"These figures provide further evidence of the scale of the challenge we have inherited. The public's clear concerns with alcohol, drug and crime back my belief that we need to be tough on crime and even tougher on the causes of crime if we are to reduce the fear of crime. If we are serious about building safer, stronger communities for the long-term then we must address the social factors that contribute to crime - chiefly drink, drugs and deprivation.
"Most of Scotland's communities are great places in which to live and work. However it's clear too many areas are still blighted by antisocial behaviour, some are plagued by serious crime, and there is a general fear of crime that runs well ahead of the actual incidence of crime.
"There will be understandable concern that many crimes continue to go unreported by the public. We are committed to a visible police presence that deters crime and responds to local community needs. But building this public confidence in the criminal justice system will come only by seeing through the root and branch reforms of the whole justice system already underway - in the courts, in the way we manage offenders, and of course in the work we are doing to nip problem behaviour in the bud.
"Many people raised concerns about alcohol and drug abuse. That's why we are setting out our plans to crack down hard on those who sell or supply to under age drinkers, and curb irresponsible promotions and discounts of alcohol. Just this week we have launched with Scotland's police forces the latest phase in our long-term commitment to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence, knife carrying, and gang culture. Here will be no let up from this Scottish Government on knives, with an increasing emphasis on prevention and changing attitudes to knife carrying.
"On the issue of drugs we have already acknowledged that it is time for a fresh approach. This is a challenge we can only meet by acting together and building a consensus on the way forward. Of course consensus must have a purpose and we intend to develop our new drugs strategy with vigour and commitment.
"Our new drugs strategy will have five strands - better service delivery to promote recovery; intervention to protect children; drugs education that works; effective enforcement; and more appropriate court disposals.
"One of the most important messages I take out of surveys like this is that we need to keep the experiences of victims front and centre in the way the criminal justice system responds to crime. These are not just statistics, these are real lives. Many crimes have a devastating and lasting effect on their victims. They can cause upset and stress that last a long time. Victims are always the innocent party in the criminal justice system and we must treat them with respect and dignity.
"The Scottish Government wants to ensure that victims have faith that the justice system will be fair and deal with the person who is accused of the crime against them while protecting their interests and assisting in their recovery from the effects of the crime. That's why we are looking at implementing the pilot victim statement scheme as well as expanding the Victim Notification Scheme to make sure more victims are kept informed of what happens to the person who has carried out an offence against them."
The SCVC is a social research publication based on a survey carried out by BMRB Social Research, an independent research organisation, on behalf of the Scottish Government in 2006.
Related Information
