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Chapter Ten: Neighbourhood Perceptions and Community Involvement
Neighbourhood perceptions and community involvement
A recommendation by the Scottish Centre for Research on Social Justice in its Long Term Strategy for measuring deprivation report was that the Scottish Executive should consider including in the SIMD one domain relating to social relations and social capital and a separate domain on crime and social order. These themes cover a broad range of topics, from participation in social or political aspects of society, to qualities of the social environment such as levels of noise and disturbance or levels of crime.
At present there are few data sources available for the data zone geographical level for use in the SIMD and the Executive are currently investigating potential indicators in particular for the crime domain from administrative systems.
This chapter brings together information from the Scottish Household Survey and the Scottish Crime Survey, which ask questions about experiences of a range of issues, for example, social problems in their local neighbourhood, what people like and dislike about their neighbourhoods, anti-social behaviour, fear of crime, and incidence of crime. It is important to note that this chapter is based on survey, rather than administrative information and, as such, is only a representative sample of the total population.
Key points
- People living in deprived areas are more likely to rate their neighbourhood as a fairly or very poor place to live (22 per cent in the 15% most deprived areas and four per cent in the rest of Scotland). Since 1999, those in deprived areas have become less likely to rate their neighbourhood as a fairly or very poor place to live.
- People living in the 15% most deprived areas were just as likely as those living in the rest of Scotland to say that they particularly liked the social aspects of their neighbourhoods, more likely to say that they liked good public transport and less likely to say that they liked their neighbourhood for being safe/having low crime.
- People living in deprived areas are more likely to encounter common occurrences of anti-social behaviour such as noisy neighbours (17 per cent in the 15% most deprived and six per cent in the rest of Scotland), vandalism (42 per cent in the 15% most deprived and 14 per cent in the rest of Scotland), rubbish (49 per cent in the 15% most deprived and 25 per cent in the rest of Scotland), groups of people taking drugs (45 per cent in the 15% most deprived and 18 per cent in the rest of Scotland) or groups of young people hanging around (52 per cent in the 15% most deprived and 31 per cent in the rest of Scotland).
- Some 53 per cent of people in the 15% most deprived areas are worried about being assaulted or mugged, compared with 35 per cent in the rest of Scotland.
- People living in deprived areas are less likely to feel fairly or very safe whilst walking alone in their local neighbourhood after dark (47 per cent in the 15% most deprived and 65 per cent in the rest of Scotland)
- Some 18 per cent of people in the 15% most deprived areas undertake voluntary activities, this compares to 25 per cent in the rest of Scotland.
- Some 73 per cent of people living in the 15% most deprived areas agree that voting in local elections is important, this compares to 81 per cent in the rest of Scotland.
Neighbourhood rating
The Scottish Household Survey ( SHS) asks respondents to rate their neighbourhood overall as a very or fairly good or poor place to live. In the survey, 'Your neighbourhood' is defined as 'the street you live in and the streets nearby' (urban) or 'the local area' (rural). Across the whole of Scotland, more than nine out of ten people rated their neighbourhood as good or fairly good in 2003. More than a fifth of respondents to the SHS who lived in the 15% most deprived areas, however, rated their neighbourhood as fairly or very poor (Chart 10.1). In the rest of Scotland four per cent said their neighbourhood was poor or very poor.
Pensioners were most likely, in all areas, to rate their neighbourhood as fairly or very good, with young people least likely. Young people in the 15% most deprived areas were considerably more negative about their neighbourhoods than those in the rest of Scotland. Almost one in three people in the 15% most deprived areas rated their neighbourhood as fairly or very poor, compared with fewer than one in ten in the rest of Scotland. There was little difference between the way in which males and females rate their neighbourhood across all respondents in Scotland.
Since 1999, the percentage of respondents rating their neighbourhood as a fairly or very poor place to live has decreased, and this decrease has been relatively larger in the 15% most deprived areas.
Chart 10.1: Rating of neighbourhood as a fairly or very poor place to live, 2003
Percentage
Source: Scottish Household Survey
Note: 'Young people' includes those aged 16 to 24, 'working age' includes those aged 25 to 64 for men and 25 to 59 for women and 'pensioners' includes those aged 65+ for men and 60+ for women.
What people like and dislike about their neighbourhoods
When asked about specific aspects of their neighbourhood that they liked or disliked, overall those living in the 15% most deprived areas were more likely to choose aspects that they disliked and 12 per cent said that they liked nothing about their neighbourhood (compared with three per cent in the rest of Scotland). In the rest of Scotland, people were more likely to mention things that they liked than disliked and were more likely to say that they disliked nothing about their neighbourhood (48 per cent disliked nothing, compared with 32 per cent in the 15% most deprived areas).
People living in the 15% most deprived areas were just as likely to say that they particularly liked the social aspects of their neighbourhoods as those living in the rest of Scotland. Particular social aspects that were chosen were good neighbours (35 per cent in the 15% most deprived areas, 32 per cent in the rest of Scotland), friendly people (28 per cent in the 15% most deprived areas, 30 per cent in the rest of Scotland) and community spirit/good sense of community (six per cent in both the 15% most deprived areas and the rest of Scotland).
Of the specific aspects that people liked about their neighbourhoods, those in the 15% most deprived areas were more likely to say that they liked the good public transport (20 per cent, compared with 15 per cent in the rest of Scotland). They were less likely to say, however, that they liked the area for being safe/having low crime (eight per cent in the 15% most deprived, 17 per cent in the rest of Scotland), being quiet and peaceful (36 per cent in the 15% most deprived, 61 per cent in the rest of Scotland) or for being nicely landscaped/having open spaces (nine per cent in the 15% most deprived areas, 20 per cent in the rest of Scotland).
Table 10.2: Aspects of neighbourhood particularly liked as a place to live, 2003Row percentages | Quiet/peaceful | Convenient shop/other amenities | Good neighbours | Friendly people | Nicely landscaped/open spaces | Good outlook/view | Good public transport | Safe area/low crime | Good local shops | Area well maintained | Good local schools | Community spirit/good sense of community | Good local leisure facilities | No/little traffic | Safe/slow traffic | Good facilities for children | Other | Nothing | Sample size, adults aged 16+ (n) |
|---|
15% Most deprived | 36 | 30 | 35 | 28 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 2,200 |
|---|
Rest of Scotland | 61 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 12,677 |
|---|
Scotland | 57 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 14,880 |
|---|
Source: Scottish Household Survey
Note: Rows add to more than 100% since multiple responses were allowed.
When asked what specific aspects they particularly disliked about their neighbourhood, those in the 15% most deprived areas were more likely than those in the rest of Scotland to choose vandalism (21 per cent in the 15% most deprived, six per cent in the rest of Scotland), drug abuse (18 per cent in the 15% most deprived areas, four per cent in the rest of Scotland), alcohol abuse (12 per cent in the 15% most deprived areas, three per cent in the rest of Scotland) and unsafe area/crime (11 per cent in the 15% most deprived areas, three per cent in the rest of Scotland).
Table 10.3 Aspects of neighbourhood particularly disliked as a place to live, 2003Row percentages | Young people hanging about/nothing for young people to do | Vandalism | Fast/speeding traffic | Drug abuse | Parking problems | Too much traffic | Nowhere for children to play | Poor public transport | Noise | Poor local leisure facilities | Alcohol abuse | Unsafe area/crime | Area poorly maintained/run down | Problems with neighbours | Poor local shops | Problems with dogs/cats | Poor outlook/view | Poor local schools | Other | Nothing | Sample size, adults aged 16+ (n) |
|---|
15% Most deprived | 28 | 21 | 5 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 32 | 2,200 |
|---|
Rest of Scotland | 11 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 48 | 12,677 |
|---|
Scotland | 13 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 46 | 14,880 |
|---|
Source: Scottish Household Survey
Note: Rows add to more than 100% since multiple responses were allowed.
Occurrence of antisocial behaviour in the neighbourhood
The respondents' rating of their neighbourhood may be a result of their perceptions or experience of particular problems within that neighbourhood. The SHS questions its respondents about their fears for their safety and also their perception of the frequency of occurrences of particular antisocial behaviour, for example noisy neighbours, loud parties, graffiti, littering or drug abuse in their neighbourhood.
Antisocial behaviour can have a negative effect on the quality of life of people living in the local area. People living in the 15% most deprived areas were much more likely than those in the rest of Scotland to say that occurrences of particular problems with antisocial behaviour were common in their neighbourhood (Chart 10.4).
Chart 10.4: Occurrence of antisocial behaviour in neighbourhood, 2003
Percentage
Source: Scottish Household Survey
Concerns associated with the physical appearance of the neighbourhood were more common in the most deprived areas. In the 15% most deprived areas, 42 per cent said that vandalism, graffiti or other deliberate damage to property was common, compared with 14 per cent in the rest of Scotland. Rubbish and litter lying around was also thought to be more common in the deprived areas (49 per cent in the 15% most deprived areas, 25 per cent in the rest of Scotland).
Another type of problem that the survey asked about was antisocial behaviour by groups or individuals in the neighbourhood. Respondents in the 15% most deprived areas also thought that groups of young people hanging around on the street and groups of people drinking or using drugs was more common than those in the rest of Scotland (52 per cent and 45 per cent, respectively, said that these were common occurrences, compared with 27 per cent and 18 per cent of respondents in the rest of Scotland). Seventeen per cent of those living in the 15% most deprived areas said that noisy neighbours or loud parties were common, compared with six per cent in the rest of Scotland.
For all of the problems that the survey respondents were questioned on, pensioners were the least likely, and young people were the most likely to think that occurrences were common (Table 10.5). Again, this difference was most pronounced in the rest of Scotland, and especially for groups of young people hanging around on the street, vandalism, graffiti or other deliberate damage to property, groups of people drinking or using drugs and rubbish or litter lying around. Across Scotland, there was little difference in the likelihood of males and females to say that their experience of all the types of antisocial behaviour was either very or fairly common.
Table 10.5: Experience of antisocial behaviour in neighbourhood, by lifestage, 2003
Percentage of respondents saying occurrence was very or fairly common, adult population
| 15% Most deprived | Rest of Scotland | Scotland |
|---|
Young People | Working Age | Pensioners | All | Young People | Working Age | Pensioners | All | Young People | Working Age | Pensioners | All |
|---|
Noisy neighbours or loud parties | 20 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 8 |
|---|
Vandalism, graffiti or other deliberate damage to property | 52 | 45 | 31 | 42 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 24 | 18 | 15 | 18 |
|---|
Groups of young people hanging around on the street | 61 | 55 | 41 | 52 | 39 | 28 | 19 | 27 | 43 | 32 | 23 | 31 |
|---|
Groups of people drinking or using drugs | 55 | 51 | 30 | 45 | 26 | 19 | 11 | 18 | 31 | 24 | 14 | 22 |
|---|
Rubbish or litter lying around | 60 | 50 | 40 | 49 | 30 | 26 | 22 | 25 | 35 | 30 | 25 | 29 |
|---|
Base | 214 | 1,192 | 689 | 2,095 | 910 | 7,246 | 3,714 | 11,870 | 1,124 | 8,438 | 4,403 | 13,965 |
|---|
Source: Scottish Household Survey
Note: Young people includes those aged 16 to 24, working age includes those aged 25 to 64 for men and 25 to 59 for women, pensioners includes those aged 65+ for men and 60+ for women.
Perceptions of safety and fear of crime
The Scottish Crime Survey ( SCS) is a household survey of people's experiences and perceptions of crime, based on interviews with adults throughout Scotland. The SCS provides information on crime in Scotland which complements the official police recorded crime statistics by estimating the extent of crimes which are experienced by households and individuals, whether or not they are reported to, or recorded by, the police.
The SCS asks respondents how safe they feel while walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark, whilst at home alone at night and also how much their quality of life is affected by the fear of crime. The Scottish Household Survey also asks these questions, and it is important to note that results may vary between the two surveys.
Chart 10.6: Perceptions of safety, 2003
Percentage feeling fairly or very safe
Source: Scottish Crime Survey
Table 10.7: Perceptions of safety when walking alone in the local neighbourhood after dark and at home alone at night, by sex, 2003
Percentage of respondents feeling very or fairly safe, adult population
| 15% Most deprived | Rest of Scotland | Scotland |
|---|
Male | Female | All | Male | Female | All | Male | Female | All |
|---|
Walking alone after dark | 58 | 37 | 47 | 79 | 54 | 65 | 76 | 51 | 62 |
|---|
Home alone at night | 91 | 85 | 89 | 96 | 91 | 93 | 95 | 90 | 92 |
|---|
Base | 209 | 297 | 506 | 1,125 | 1,396 | 2,521 | 1,334 | 1,693 | 3,027 |
|---|
Source: Scottish Crime Survey
When asked how safe they felt while walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark, 62 per cent of all of those surveyed by the SCS in Scotland, said that they felt fairly or very safe (Chart 10.6 and Table 10.7). There were differences between levels of deprivation, however, with less than half (47 per cent) of those in the 15% most deprived areas and 65 per cent of respondents in the rest of Scotland saying that they felt fairly or very safe when walking alone after dark.
Across Scotland, females were much less likely to feel fairly or very safe walking alone in the local neighbourhood after dark than males, with 51 per cent of females in Scotland feeling fairly or very safe compared with 76 per cent of males. In the 15% most deprived areas 37 per cent of females said that they felt fairly or vary safe compared with 58 per cent of males.
In all areas, females were also less likely than males to say that they felt fairly or very safe when at home alone at night (90 per cent of females compared with 95 per cent of males in Scotland as a whole). In the 15% most deprived areas both males and females were less likely to say that they felt fairly or very safe at home alone at night than those from the rest of Scotland (85 per cent of females and 91 per cent of males in the 15% most deprived areas compared with 91 per cent of females and 96 per cent of males in the rest of Scotland).
In the whole of Scotland, those surveyed were more likely to feel fairly or very safe when at home on their own at night (92 per cent) than when walking alone after dark (62 per cent).
The 2003 SCS asked respondents to rate the effect that fear of crime had on their quality of life from one to ten, with one being no effect, and ten being a total effect on quality of life (Chart 10.8 and Table 10.9). Very few people in all areas rated the effect on quality of life at nine or ten, however, there were slight differences between the lower ratings depending on level of deprivation.
Around half of the respondents from the 15% most deprived areas gave a rating between one and three (no effect), compared with two-thirds of people from in the rest of Scotland. Within each area, females were less likely than males to give a rating of between one and three. This means that people in the rest of Scotland and, particularly males, were more likely to say that the fear of crime had little effect on their quality of life.
Chart 10.8: Effect of fear of crime on quality of life, 2003
Percentage
Source: Scottish Crime Survey
Table 10.9: Extent to which quality of life is affected by fear of crime, by sex, 2003
Column percentages, adult population
| 15% most deprived | Rest of Scotland | Scotland |
|---|
Male | Female | All | Male | Female | All | Male | Female | All |
|---|
1 - No effect | 25 | 18 | 20 | 32 | 26 | 29 | 31 | 25 | 27 |
|---|
2 | 20 | 13 | 16 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 18 | 21 |
|---|
3 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
|---|
4 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 10 |
|---|
5 | 15 | 19 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 13 |
|---|
6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
|---|
7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
|---|
8 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
|---|
9 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|---|
10 - Total effect | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
|---|
Base | 209 | 297 | 506 | 1,125 | 1,396 | 2,521 | 1,334 | 1,693 | 3,027 |
|---|
Source: Scottish Crime Survey
The SCS asks people to say whether or not they fear particular crimes against themselves (personal crime) or their household (household crime). 'Personal Crime' includes crimes committed against the respondent including assault, robbery, theft from the person and other personal theft. 'Household crime' encompasses a number of crimes directed at households and includes vandalism, theft from a motor vehicle, housebreaking, theft of a motor vehicle, bicycle theft and other household theft.
People living in the most deprived areas were more fearful (fairly or very worried) about becoming victims of personal crime than those in the rest of Scotland (Chart 10.10). Those in the 15% most deprived areas were more likely to say they were fairly or very worried about themselves or someone they live with becoming a victim of crime (53 per cent in the 15% most deprived areas, 46 per cent in the rest of Scotland), being mugged or robbed (53 per cent in the 15% most deprived areas, 35 per cent in the rest of Scotland) or being assaulted or attacked (51 per cent in the 15% most deprived areas, 32 per cent in the rest of Scotland).
Fear of suffering from household crime was also greater in the 15% most deprived areas. Fifty-nine per cent of respondents in the 15% most deprived areas were fairly or very worried about having their home broken into, compared with 43 per cent in the rest of Scotland.
Chart 10.10: Fear of crime, 2002
Percentage
Source: Scottish Crime Survey
Prevalence of crime
SCS respondents were asked how often they had fallen victim to particular crimes in the last year (2002). The questions asked about fear of crime do not relate exactly to the incidents of crime reported by the respondents in the survey. For this reason, it is not possible to directly compare fear with incidence of crime using the data shown here.
In 2002, there was very little difference in the number of incidents of personal crime between the 15% most deprived areas and the rest of Scotland reported in the 2003 SCS (Chart 10.11).
There was also little difference between the prevalence of household crime in the most deprived areas and the rest of Scotland. Twenty-one per cent of people living in the 15% most deprived areas had suffered from at least one incident of household crime during 2002, compared with 18 per cent in the rest of Scotland.
Multiple household crimes (more than three incidences) were slightly more likely in the 15% most deprived areas. Six per cent of respondents said that they had been the victim of three or more crimes against their household, compared with three per cent of respondents from the rest of Scotland (Table 10.12).
Chart 10.11: Prevalence of household and personal crime, 2002
Percentage
Source: Scottish Crime Survey
Note: Data refer to incidents that took place in 2002, collected in the 2003 Scottish Crime Survey.
Table 10.12: Prevalence of victimisation - personal crime and household crime, 2002
Column percentages
Number of incidents | Household crime | Personal crime |
|---|
15% Most Deprived | Rest of Scotland | Scotland | 15% Most Deprived | Rest of Scotland | Scotland |
|---|
None | 79 | 82 | 82 | 93 | 94 | 94 |
|---|
One | 11 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
|---|
Two | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|---|
Three or more | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|---|
One or more | 21 | 18 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
|---|
Source: Scottish Crime Survey
Community involvement
Volunteering is recognised as a way of participating in the life of the community while, at the same time, encouraging social inclusion of those volunteering and those targeted by the voluntary organisations.
Of all those surveyed in the 2003 Scottish Household Survey, 24 per cent said that they gave up time in the previous 12 months to undertake a volunteering activity to help a group or charity (Table 10.13). Those living in the most deprived areas were less likely to give their time to volunteer. Of the people surveyed that were living in the 15% most deprived areas, 18 per cent said that they took part in voluntary activities, compared with 25 per cent in the rest of Scotland. In the rest of Scotland, females were more likely to volunteer (27 per cent of females and 22 per cent of males), however, in the 15% most deprived areas, the reverse was true (17 per cent of females and 19 per cent of males).
Table 10.13: Percentage of adults volunteering by sex and life stage, 2003
Column percentages, adult population
a) Sex | 15% Most deprived | Rest of Scotland | Scotland |
|---|
Male | Female | All | Male | Female | All | Male | Female | All |
|---|
Yes | 19 | 17 | 18 | 22 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 24 |
|---|
No | 81 | 83 | 82 | 77 | 73 | 75 | 78 | 74 | 76 |
|---|
Base | 838 | 1,255 | 2,093 | 5,113 | 6,750 | 11,863 | 5,951 | 8,005 | 13,956 |
|---|
b) Life stage | 15% Most deprived | Rest of Scotland | Scotland |
|---|
Young people | Working age | Pensioners | Young people | Working age | Pensioners | Young people | Working age | Pensioners |
|---|
Yes | 16 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 27 | 23 | 18 | 26 | 22 |
|---|
No | 84 | 81 | 83 | 81 | 73 | 77 | 81 | 74 | 78 |
|---|
Base | 214 | 1,191 | 688 | 909 | 7,241 | 3,713 | 1,123 | 8,432 | 4,401 |
|---|
Source: Scottish Household Survey
Note: Column percentages may not sum to 100 as a small number responded 'don't know/can't remember'.Young people includes those aged 16 to 24, working age includes those aged 25 to 64 for men and 25 to 59 for women, pensioners includes those aged 65+ for men and 60+ for women.
Comparing different life stages across Scotland, of those surveyed, working age people are more likely to volunteer than young people and pensioners. This is also true of those living in the rest of Scotland, where 27 per cent of working age people surveyed said that they gave up their time to volunteer, compared with 18 per cent of young people and 23 per cent of pensioners (Table 10.13). In the 15% most deprived areas, however, there was little difference in adult volunteering between life stages.
In 2002 (This question was not included in the 2003 Scottish Household Survey), the SHS asked respondents whether they agreed with the statement 'voting in local elections is important'. In the 15% most deprived areas, respondents were less likely to agree with this statement (73 per cent 'strongly agree' or 'tend to agree') than those living in the rest of Scotland (81 per cent 'strongly agree' or 'tend to agree').
Chart 10.14: Agreement with the statement 'voting in local elections is important', by life stage, 2002
Percentage
Source: Scottish Household Survey
Note: 'Young people' includes those aged 16 to 24, 'working age' includes those aged 25 to 64 for men and 25 to 59 for women and 'pensioners' includes those aged 65+ for men and 60+ for women.
Pensioners were much more committed to voting in local elections than young people and those of working age. This difference was exaggerated in the 15% most deprived areas, where 55 per cent of young people agreed with the statement, compared with 72 per cent of working age people and 82 per cent of pensioners. In the rest of Scotland, 64 per cent of young people, 79 per cent of working age people and 88 per cent of pensioners agreed that voting in local elections was important.
References
Scottish Household Survey http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/housing/shsar03-00.asp
Scottish Crime Survey 2003 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/justice/sccs-00.asp
Scottish Centre for Research on Social Justice: Long Term Strategy report http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/social/mdis-00.asp
Contacts
Chapter author:
Tracey Stead
Office of the Chief Statistician
0131 244 0442
neighbourhood.statistics@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Contributors:
Scottish Household Survey
0131 244 8420
shs@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Scottish Crime Survey
Korin Lebov
Criminal Justice Research
0131 244 4046
korin.lebov@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
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