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VIOLENCE IN SCOTLAND: FINDINGS FROM THE 2000 SCOTTISH CRIME SURVEY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Scottish Crime Survey (SCS) measures crimes directly experienced by people living in private households. The 2000 SCS is the fifth survey of its kind to be carried out in Scotland since the early 1980s. This report presents the findings on the extent and characteristics of violent crime in Scotland.
MAIN FINDINGS
- Violent crime (defined as assaults, robbery and snatch thefts) in Scotland is rare. Only 3% of respondents had experienced a violent crime during 1999, covering 127 victims and 246 violent incidents.
- Violence perpetrated by acquaintances accounted for over a third (36%) of all incidents; attacks by strangers for just under a third (29%); domestic violence for almost a quarter (23%); and mugging for around one in eight (12%).
- The SCS shows an increase in violent crime of around a third (29%) between 1996 and 2000. This is increase is partly due to a new question on domestic violence in the 2000 survey, which encouraged respondents to report such incidents to the survey as crimes.
- Crime surveys have consistently shown levels of violent crime to be higher in England and Wales than in Scotland. However, the gap has narrowed considerably between 1995 and 1999.
- The level of repeat victimisation has increased since the 1996 SCS. Whilst almost three-quarters (71%) of victims of violent crime had been victimised only once, nearly a quarter had been victimised three or more times.
- Victims of violence are most often young males. Fifteen per cent of men aged 16-25 had been the victim of a violent crime in the past year. Most assailants (85%) were also male and around a quarter (24%) were under the age of 18.
- Nearly three-quarters (72%) of the assailants in violent crimes were reported by the victim to be under the influence of drink at the time of the incident, and just over one third (37%) to be under the influence of drugs.
- A weapon was used in just under a third (30%) of violent incidents and almost two-thirds (62%) of violent incidents resulted in personal injury. Generally, the injuries were of a non-serious nature (e.g. bruises, black eyes and scratches).
- Despite the overall increase in the level of violent crime, levels of anxiety about being: physically attacked in the street; mugged or robbed; and sexually assaulted or raped have fallen since the 1996 SCS. Women are more anxious about violent crime than men.
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