Crime and Safety Survey, NSW

NAME OF ORGANISATION
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

OVERVIEW

The Crime and Safety Survey is a user funded survey for the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. It has been conducted annually since 1990, except for 1993 and 1998 when national surveys were conducted.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Crime and Safety Survey is to collect data on self reported crime victims. To obtain information on the perception of crime problems in the neighbourhood, the incidence of selected categories of crime and reporting behaviour from persons aged 15 years and over. Females aged 18 and over were asked to provide information on sexual assaults on a separate questionnaire, and they will be advised that there is no obligation to participate in this part of the survey.

SCOPE

The survey is conducted for all persons aged 15 years and over who were usual residents of private dwellings. Residents of other non-private dwellings such as hospitals, motels, and jails (included in the MPS) were exlcuded from this survey.

Coverage rules were applied to ensure that each person was associated with one dwelling, so as to get one chance of selection in the survey. Questionnaires are delivered by MPS Interviewers or mailed out to households who were interviewed for the MPS over the phone. The questionnaire is completed and then mailed back to the ABS. Each household receives a household form, and a person form (for everyone over the age of 15 years). The sexual assault form pertains only to females aged 18 years and over.

DATA DETAIL

Conceptual framework

The collection was conducted as a supplement to the ABS Monthly Population Survey in April 2001.

Information was collected from households and persons living in private dwellings throughout New South Wales. As well as the standard Monthly Population Survey output, information collected includes:

Household Crime

A. Break-in

• number of incidents in the last 12 months
• number of incidents which became known to the police

For the last incident:

• whether at current or previous address
• whether respondent told police about the most recent break-in
• what the offender did in most recent break-in
• main reason why the respondent did not tell the police

B. Attempted break-in

• number of incidents in the last 12 months
• number of incidents which became known to the police

For the last incident:

• whether respondent told police about last incident
• main reason why the respondent did not tell the police about the last incident
• whether last incident at current or previous address

C. Motor vehicle theft

• number of vehicles owned/being purchased by household
• number of incidents in the last 12 months
• number of incidents which became known to the police

For the last incident:

• whether respondent told police about last incident
• main reason why the respondent did not tell the police about the last incident

Personal Crime

A. "Robbery" - theft or attempted theft combined with physical attack or threat of violence

• number of incidents in the last 12 months
• number of incidents which became known to the police

For the last incident:

• whether respondent told police
• main reason why the respondent did not tell the police
• whether a weapon was used/type of weapon
• whether injured/admitted to hospital
• whether anything was stolen/what was stolen
• number of offenders
• whether offender/s were known to the victim
• how the victim knew the offender (relationship)
• location of last incident
• nature of the incident

B. "Assault" - where respondent was threatened with force or attacked (other than robbery)

• number of incidents in the last 12 months
• number of incidents which became known to the police

For the last incident:

• whether respondent told police
• main reason why the respondent did not tell the police
• the use of weapon/type of weapon
• whether injured/admitted to hospital
• number of offenders
• whether offender/s were known to the victim
• victim/offender relationship
• location of last incident

C. Sexual Assault (for females aged 18 and over)

• number of incidents in the last 12 months
• number of incidents which became known to the police

For the last incident:

• whether respondent told police
• main reason why the respondent did not tell the police
• the use of weapon/type of weapon
• whether injured/admitted to hospital
• number of offenders
• whether offender/s were known to the victim
• victim/offender relationship
• location of last incident

Respondent perception of problems from crime or people creating a public nuisance

• Housebreakings / burglaries / theft from homes
• Car theft
• Other theft
• Louts / youth gangs
• Prowlers / loiterers
• Drunkenness
• Vandalism / graffiti / damage to property
• Dangerous / noisy driving
• Illegal drugs
• Sexual assault
• Other assault
• Problems with neighbours / domestic problems
• Other (please give details)

Publication: Crime and Safety, New South Wales (ABS Cat No. 4509.1)

Classifications

Standard labour force classifications used where possible.

For the offence classifications attempts were made to align the classifications as closely as possible with the ABS' Australian Standard Offence Classification (ASOC). However, it should be emphasised that the responses obtained in this survey are based on respondent's perception of their having been a victim of an offence. The terms used summarise the wording of the questions asked of the respondent and may not necessarily correspond with the legal of police definitions which are used for each offence.

Other concepts (summary)

Not Applicable

GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
New South Wales
Major Statistical Region
Statistical Region
Part of State Metropolitan
Part of State Extra-Metropolitan

Comments and/or Other Regions

Not applicable

COLLECTION FREQUENCY
Annually

Frequency comments

This survey is run every year, except in the year of a national crime and safety survey, such as 1993 and 1998.

COLLECTION HISTORY

The New South Wales Crime and Safety survey has been conducted annually since 1990, except for 1993 and 1998 when national surveys were conducted.

DATA AVAILABILITY
Yes

Data availability comments