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Crime Victimisation in Australia: Key Findings of the 2004 International Crime Victimisation Survey

NCJ Number
210293
Author(s)
Holly Johnson
Date Published
April 2005
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This report presents key findings of the Australian component of the International Crime Victimization Survey (ICVS), including data on risk factors for victimization, unreported crime, and fear of crime.
Abstract
The ICVS is an international project that involves approximately 60 countries worldwide. One of its benefits is to provide a vehicle for comparing rates of victimization and perceptions of crime and the criminal justice system among participating countries. The 2004 ICVS in Australia involved an enhanced sample of 7,000 respondents, which was considerably larger than past Australian samples of the ICVS and typical samples in other participating countries. Overall, 52 percent of the sample reported at least one criminal victimization over the previous 5-year period, and 17 percent were victimized during 2003. Twenty-nine percent had been victims of personal crimes over the past 5 years and 9 percent in 2003. Rates of personal crime were highest for assaults/threats and personal theft and lowest for robbery. Rates were higher for household crimes than for personal crimes; 39 percent of households reported at least one of the household crimes over the past 5 years, and 11 percent experienced a household crime in the past year. Compared to victimization rates in the last ICVS (2000), there were statistically significant declines for both 1-year and 5-year victimization rates. Factors related to victimization in the previous year were being single, separated or divorced, or living in a de facto relationship; being in a lower income household; having lived at the current residence less than 1 year; being unemployed; and participation in night-time activities outside the home. Crimes most likely to be reported to the police involved substantial property losses that were likely to be insured. Overall, the majority of Australians felt relatively safe in their local environment. 6 tables, 5 figures, and 6 references