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THE 2000 SCOTTISH CRIME SURVEY: OVERVIEW REPORT

Worry about Crime⁶

Forty-eight per cent of the sample said they worried about the possibility that they, or anyone they lived with, might be a victim of crime. This was a similar proportion to 1996 (50%). Women were more likely than men to be worried about this and there were also differences by age group (Table 7.6)

Table 7.6 Percentage of Respondents Worried that They or Someone Living with Them Would Become a Victim of Crime

Notes:

1. Non-responses were excluded from the analysis.
2. Source: 2000 SCS (weighted data, all Scotland), Main B questionnaire, n = 2,542.

There has been a significant drop since 1996 in the proportion of men aged 16-24 worried that they themselves, or someone living with them, would become a victim of crime. The figure for this group has now returned to a similar level to that reported in the 1993 SCS (37%). There has also been a reduction in the proportion of men aged 25-44 who were worried about victimisation. The figures for women show less change since 1996, although slightly more women aged 65 or over are now worried about victimisation.

As in 1996, people in social class E were the least likely to worry about victimisation (39%). The proportions of those worried was highest for respondents in social class C2 (53%). These relative levels of concern about crime broadly reflect the pattern of actual crime risks amongst different groups in society in 1999 (Appendix A6.1). Those living in settlements with a population of 1,000,000 or more were also more worried about being victimised than others (53%). However, these concerns are not so rational as this group experienced lower crime rates in 1999 than those living in smaller settlements. As would be expected, those living alone were less likely to worry about themselves or others being a victim (36%) than those living in households of two or more people (50%).

Concern about Children

More than half (53%) of those with children in the household worried about the children being victimised ⁷. Potential situations that most frequently caused people to worry a lot about children were road safety (39%), sexual assault (34%) and drugs (34%) (Table 7.7).

Table 7.7 Potential Situations Causing Respondents to Worry About Children

Notes:

1. Non-responses were excluded from the analysis.
2. Source: 2000 SCS (weighted data, all Scotland), Main B questionnaire, all respondents who are worried about children in the household, n = 360.

The percentage who worry 'a lot' about children in their household being sexually assaulted fell from 43% in 1996 to 34% in 2000. However, road safety is and finding dirty needles are now of greater concern. The extent of worry about children in other situations is similar to that reported in the 1996 SCS.

Worry about certain types of crime

The SCS asks people how worried they are about certain types of crime. Table 7.8 shows the percentage who felt 'very' or 'fairly' worried. The commonest worries were about vandalism of a car and theft from a car ⁸.

Table 7.8 Percentage of Respondents 'Very' or 'Fairly' Worried about a Range of Crimes

Notes:

1. Non-responses and 'Not applicable' were excluded from the analysis.
2. Source: 1996 SCS (all Scotland, weighted data), Main questionnaire, n = 5,045; 2000 SCS (weighted data, all Scotland), Main questionnaire, n = 5,059.
3. 'Sexual assault' based on women only as this was asked only on women in the SCS 1996.
4. Crime categories in rows 1,2,4 and 9 were added to this question in the SCS 2000 questionnaire

There has been a drop in the percentage of women worried about sexual assault (from 51% in 1996 to 41%). There are also fewer people in 2000 worried about housebreaking, vandalism, robbery and assault. This is despite the fact that crime rates for robbery, assault and housebreaking have not dropped since 1995 (although there has been a reduction in vandalism).

The drop in the proportion of women worried about sexual assault is evident across all age groups, though greatest among those aged 16-24 (76% in 1996; 52% in 2000). One in ten men said they were worried about sexual assault, this figure being highest among men aged 16-24 (14%).

Responses to Threat of Crime

Several questions in the survey sought to gauge the extent to which people respond to the perceived threat of crime in terms of taking avoidance, precautionary or preventative measures.

Personal Safety

Two in three respondents (67%) said they went out alone after dark at least once a week. One in ten claimed never to go out alone after dark. Older people were least likely to go out after dark. Women also went out alone less frequently than men (Table 7.9).

Table 7.9 Frequency of Going Out Alone After Dark

Notes:

1. Non-responses were excluded from the analysis.
2. Source: 2000 SCS (weighted data, all Scotland), Main B questionnaire, n =2,542.

Those who indicated that they went out alone after dark less than once a month or never were asked why they do not go out more often. A variety of reasons were given, those related to fear of crime generally being secondary to practical considerations or simple lack of desire to go out (Table 7.10). Women were more likely than men to avoid going out alone after dark because of fear of personal crime, fear of dark/night and general fear of going out on their own.

Table 7.10 Reasons for not Going Out Alone After Dark

Notes:

1. Non-responses were excluded from the analysis.
2. Source: 2000 SCS (weighted data, all Scotland), Main B questionnaire, respondents who go out alone after dark less than once a month or never, n =589.

The precautions most commonly reported as being 'always' or 'usually' taken by those who go out alone after dark were avoidance of certain types of people (34%), and avoidance of certain streets or areas (28%). Women were more likely than men to adopt each of the precautionary measures listed below (Figure 7.4).

Figure 7.4 Precautions 'Always' or 'Usually' Taken by Respondents who go out After Dark

Notes:

1. Non-responses were excluded from the analysis.
2. Source: 2000 SCS (weighted data, all Scotland), Main B questionnaire, respondents who go out alone after dark more than once a month, n =2,069.

Security Features on Property

Figure 7.5 shows that the most commonly implemented household security features were double locks or deadlocks (68%), security locks on windows (62%) and security chains or bolts on doors (51%).

The proportion of people who reported having security locks on windows has increased from 48% in 1996 to 62% in 2000. There have also been increases in the proportions of households with double locking/deadlocking doors, security chains or bolts on doors, peep holes, sensor lights and burglar alarms.

Figure 7.5 Home Security Features

Notes:

1. Non-responses were excluded from the analysis.
2. Source: 2000 SCS (weighted data, all Scotland), Main B questionnaire, n =2,542.

Many security devices were most common in households with the largest incomes (30,000 or more). These included burglar alarms, doors with double locks, security locks on windows, and sensor lights. Entry phones, doors chains or bolts, and peep holes were more common among less affluent groups. These tended to be in rented properties and were fitted by the council, housing association or private landlord.

The decision to install household security devices often appeared to be instigated by personal experience of crime. Six out of ten victims said that they had made security improvements as a result of what had happened, most commonly by installing double locks or deadlocks on doors, or burglar alarms locks on windows (Figure 7.6).

Figure 7.6 Home Security Improvements made as a Direct Result of Housebreaking

Notes:

1. Non-responses were excluded from the analysis.
2. Source: 2000 SCS (weighted data, all Scotland), Main B questionnaire, respondents who had ever been a victim of housebreaking, n = 525.

Home Contents Insurance

Most people (86%) said that the contents of their home were insured against theft, although 13% of homes were said not to be covered, and 1% did not know if they were covered or not. The proportion of homes with contents insurance was similar to that reported in 1996 (84%). Table 7.11 shows which groups were most and least likely to be covered.

Table 7.11 Groups Most and Least Likely to have Home Contents Insurance

Notes:

1. 'Don't know' and non-responses were excluded from the analysis.
2. Source: 2000 SCS (weighted data, all Scotland), Main B questionnaire, n = 2,542.

Security Features on Vehicles

Respondents who personally owned or had regular use of a car or van were asked whether their vehicle (or the vehicle they used most) had a number of security features. The most commonly reported were security coded radios/cassettes (74%) and central locking (72%). There were significant increases in the prevalence of most vehicle security measures since the 1996 SCS (Table 7.12).

Table 7.12 Security Features on Motor Vehicle

Notes:

1. Non-responses were excluded from the analysis.
2. 'Krooklock' was added to the questionnaire in 2000.
3. Source: 1996 SCS (weighted data, all Scotland), Main B questionnaire, all respondents with personal use of a car or van, n = 1,388; 2000 SCS (weighted data, all Scotland), Main B questionnaire, all respondents with personal use of a car or van, n = 1,459.

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