NAME OF ORGANISATION
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
OVERVIEW
Survey of WA residents about household and personal crime and safety issues conducted as a supplement to the Labour Force Survey, usually in October of the relevant year. WA previously conducted the Crime Victims Survey and the Crime and Safety survey has also been conducted nationally.
PURPOSE
To obtain information on the perception of crime problems in the neighbourhood, the incidence of selected categories of crime and reporting behaviour of persons aged 15 years and over. Females aged 18 and over were asked to provide information on sexual assaults on a separate questionnaire, and were advised that there was no obligation to participate.
SCOPE
The survey is conducted for all persons aged 15 years and over who were usual residents of private dwellings in WA except:
- members of the permanent defence forces;
- certain diplomatic personnel of overseas governments, customarily excluded from census and estimated populations;
- overseas residents in Australia; and
- members of non-Australian defence forces (and their dependants) stationed in Australia.
Residents of other non-private dwellings such as hospitals, motels, and jails (included in the MPS) were exlcuded from this survey.
As per the Labour Force Survey, coverage rules are applied which aim to ensure that each person/household is associated with only one dwelling, and hence has only one chance of selection. The chance of a person/household being enumerated at two separate dwellings in the one survey is considered to be negligible.
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 go to females aged 18 years and over.
DATA DETAIL
Conceptual framework
Information was collected from households and persons living in private dwellings throughout WA. Information collected includes:
- Perception of crime problems in the neighbourhood
- Membership of Neighbourhood (or Rural) Watch
- Types of offence:
- theft (actual and/or attempted break and enter, and motor vehicle)
- robbery
- assault
- Number of incidents in the past twelve months involving the respondent and the number reported to the police
- If the most recent incident was not reported to the police, the main reason
- Description of items stolen, where applicable
- Location of last incident, use of weapon by assailant, and knowledge of assailant (for robbery and assault)
- Occurrence of physical injury (for assault)
- Location of last incident, type of registered owner and comprehensive insurance (for motor vehicle theft).
Main outputs
Tables:
- Victims/non-victims by type of offence/region/household characteristics/age/sex/ selected risk factors;
- Victims by type of offence by number of incidents/whether police informed; and
- Victims/non victims by perception of crime/nuisance problems in neighbourhood.
Classifications
Standard Monthly Population Survey classifications
Other concepts (summary)
Not applicable
GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
Western Australia
Major Statistical Region
Statistical Region
Part of State Metropolitan
Part of State Extra-Metropolitan
Comments and/or Other Regions
COLLECTION FREQUENCY
Other
Frequency comments
The timing of the conduct of a Crime and Safety Survey as a WA State Supplementary Survey is dependent on State Government priorities and the conduct of the National Crime and Safety Survey. Therefore no pre-determined timetable (adhoc). It is likely, however, that "A" Crime and Safety Survey will be conducted for WA households at least once every two-three years
COLLECTION HISTORY
The survey is conducted on an ad hoc basis. It has been conducted nationally 1993 and in all States in 1995.
DATA AVAILABILITY
Yes
Data availability comments
DATE OF LAST UPDATE FOR THIS DOCUMENT
09/05/2002 11:41 AM
