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YOUNG PEOPLE AND CRIME IN SCOTLAND: FINDINGS FROM THE 2000 SCOTTISH CRIME SURVEY

CHAPTER TWO: WORRIES ABOUT CRIME AND OTHER MATTERS

Respondents were asked a range of questions on issues thought likely to worry people of their age group - some relating to crime, others to more general issues. This allows young people's anxiety about crime to be seen in the context of other worries.

GENERAL ISSUES

Table 2.1 shows how many young people worried about each of a range of issues presented to them.

Table 2.1: Young People 'Very' or 'Fairly' Worried About General Issues

The issue which most frequently caused young people concern was doing badly at school (59%). A little under half also reported being worried about finding a job (47%) and just over a third reported being worried about getting into trouble with the police (38%) and getting into problems with drugs (37%).

Females were more likely to be worried about each of the issues, though only significantly so regarding their concerns about doing badly at school. Fourteen and 15 year olds were more likely to be concerned about career-related issues such as doing badly at school and finding a job, whereas 12 and 13 year olds were more likely, though not significantly, to report concerns relating to rule- breaking behaviours such as getting into trouble with the police or acquiring drug problems. Young people from social classes D and E were more likely than those from A and B to report concerns regarding doing badly at school, getting a job, getting on with parent and getting into problems with drugs ¹¹.

Young people who reported experiencing victimisation were more likely to report concerns about being popular at school, getting on with parents and getting into problems with drugs. Young people who reported committing offences were more likely than non-offenders to be worried about getting into trouble with the police, doing badly at school and getting on with parents ¹²

Comparison between surveys shows that worry about general issues has declined steadily over recent years with the exception of the two school-related issues (Table 2.2). The differences between 1993 and 2000 which were significant were those relating to getting into trouble with the police and getting on with parents.

Table 2.2: Respondents 'Very' or 'Fairly' Worried About General Issues by Year

Worries About Crime and Personal Safety

Young people were asked how much they worried about experiencing a range of crimes (Table 2.3). Unsurprisingly, young people were more worried about violent and sexual crimes than housebreaking. Bullying caused the least amount of concern, although around a third of respondents worried about this.

Table 2.3: Young People 'Very' or 'Fairly' Worried About Specific Crimes

Females were more worried about being a victim of all types of crime listed, the differences being significant in the case of being mugged or attacked, being sexually molested and housebreaking ¹³. Younger respondents were more likely than older respondents to report concerns about being bullied ¹⁴. Young people from social classes D and E were more likely to report concerns about becoming a victim of bullying, sexual molestation and housebreaking ¹⁵

Young people who had been a victim of any offences specified in the survey were more likely to report concerns about all crimes than those young people who had not.

Table 2.4 shows that concern about violent crime and crimes of a sexual nature tends to reduce with age, although those aged 20 or over are most concerned about housebreaking. The difference in the levels of concern expressed by 12-15 year olds and those aged over 20 with regard to sexual molestation was highly significant. Females aged 12-15 were more than twice as likely (39%) to report that they were 'very' worried about being a victim of sexual assault than females in the adult sample (18%). Concern about being a victim of violent street crime was highest among those in the 16-19 age group, who were also most likely to be a victim of such offences.

Table 2.4: Worry about Specific Crimes, by Age Group

Notes:
1.The figures for 'Being mugged or attacked in the street or other public place' from the main sample are a combination of respondents reporting being either 'very' or 'fairly' worried in what are two distinct categories; ''Being mugged and robbed' and 'Being attacked in the street or other public place'.
2 Source: 2000 SCS (all Scotland, weighted data), Young Person's Self-Completion Questionnaire and Main A & B Questionnaires (n=12-15: 403, 16-19: 264, 20 and over: 4766).
3 The question assessing concern regarding the possibility of sexual assault was phrased as 'How worried are you about…being sexually assaulted or raped?' in the adult sample.

Table 2.5 shows that young people were less likely to report concerns about being a victim of housebreaking or being mugged in the 2000 survey than in 1996. There has also been a decrease in concern about sexual assault since 1993. These results concur with a general reduction in concern about crime amongst adults surveyed in the 2000 SCS.

Table 2.5: Respondents 'Very' or 'Fairly' Worried About Specific Crimes by Year

Notes:
1. The 1993 and 1996 figures for 'Being mugged or attacked in the street or other public place' comprise a combination of respondents reporting being either 'very' or 'fairly' worried in what were previously two distinct categories; ''Being mugged and robbed' and 'Being attacked in the street or other public place'.
2. Questions regarding concern about being bullied are a new addition to the 2000 survey, therefore 1993 and 1996 figures are not available.

Respondents were asked how safe they felt walking alone in their area after dark. Table 2.6 shows that more than nine out of ten went out alone after dark. Females were more likely than males to say that they did not go out alone after dark, which may reflect higher levels of concern about crime and more stringent parental control of girls. Younger people were also less likely to go out after dark, perhaps for similar reasons ¹⁶.

Table 2.6: Feelings of Safety when out Alone in Local Area after Dark

Of those who did go out alone after dark, nearly two thirds (64%) reported that they felt 'very' or 'fairly' safe. However, there were significant sex and class differences. Almost half of females (45%) compared to only a quarter (28%) of males reported feeling unsafe when out alone after dark. A fifth (22%) of young people from social classes A/B compared to nearly twice as many (41%) from social classes D/E reported feeling unsafe, suggesting that perceived levels of personal safety in one's area of residence may be linked to the type of area in which one lives.

Feelings of safety when out alone after dark increase as people reach adulthood. In response to a similar question in the main SCS, 94% of both 16-19 year olds and those aged 20 and over reported feeling 'very' or 'fairly' safe out alone in their area after dark.

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