The number of burglaries increased by 137 percent between 1981 and 1973, while the number of burglaries decreased by 8 percent between 1993 and 1997. About 5.6 percent of households in England and Wales were burglarized in 1997. The following factors increased the risk of burglary: lack of security, low levels of occupancy, living in a detached house, and living in inner-city areas. Burglary was also increased by living in a household in which there were a single adult and children, the head of household was young, or the occupants were Asian. Households were more than twice as likely to be burglarized in 1997 if they had been burglarized in the previous 4 years. About 20 percent of households burglarized in 1997 experienced more than one incident during the year; 13 were burglarized twice and 7 percent were burglarized 3 or more times. In most burglaries with entry, force was used to gain entry; in 22 percent of cases, the offender entered through an open window or an unlocked door. In 25 percent of burglaries, someone was at home and was aware of what was happening. In 11 percent of burglaries, violent or threatening behavior was used. Victims were emotionally affected in 87 percent of all burglaries. In 1998, 8 in 10 households (82 percent) had an insurance policy that covered the contents of the home against theft. Economically disadvantaged groups were far less likely to have such insurance. Ownership of security devices increased substantially between 1992 and 1998. In 1998, 48 percent of all households had security lights and 24 percent had burglar alarms. Security devices were very effective in reducing the risk of burglary victimization. Additional information on survey findings and methods is appended. 24 references, 75 tables, and 14 figures