HOUSEHOLD CRIME TIME SERIES

The 2011–12 Crime Victimisation Survey was the fourth annual national survey of crime victimisation in Australia, with the first Crime Victimisation Survey conducted in 2008–09. The following sections explore the changes in the victimisation counts and rates, reporting rates and number of incidents for the selected household crimes for both Australia and the state and territories over the past year. Changes in the data from the first Crime Victimisation Survey in 2008–09 are also explored. Definitions of the selected household crime types can be found in the Glossary or the sections of the commentary focusing on each type of crime.

VICTIMISATION

National

Change since 2010-11
The number and rate of households that experienced malicious property damage declined, with an estimated 649,900 victims, 8.5% of households, in 2011–12 compared with 722,800 victims, 7.5% of households, in 2010–11.

Apart from malicious property damage, there were no statistically significant differences from 2010–11 to 2011–12 in the number and rates of break-in, attempted break-in, motor vehicle theft, theft from a motor vehicle and other types of theft.

Change since 2008-09
The numbers and rates of households experiencing all the selected household crimes decreased from 2008–09 to 2011–12, except break-in, where only the victimisation rate decreased.

• The victimisation rate for break-in decreased from 3.2% to 2.3%.
• The number of victims of attempted break-in decreased from 251,300 to 196,600 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 3.1% to 2.3%.
• The number of victims of motor vehicle theft decreased from 91,000 to 60,900 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 1.1% to 0.7%.
• The number of victims of theft of property from a motor vehicle decreased from 369,200 to 307,100 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 4.5% to 3.5% (Endnote 1).
• The number of victims of malicious property damage decreased from 912,500 to 649,900 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 11.1% to 7.5%.
• The number of victims of other types of theft decreased from 362,400 to 284,100 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 4.4% to 3.3%.

2008-09 to 2011-12 Household Crime Victimisation Rate, Australia

Footnotes
(a) Other Theft includes types of theft of personal or household property not covered by the remaining crime categories (i.e. Robbery, break-in, motor vehicle theft or theft from a motor vehicle). For example, theft of property from a yard or theft of property belonging to someone in the household from someone else's house or motor vehicle.

States and Territories

Change since 2010-11
The victimisation rate for break-in decreased from the previous year for the ACT only, from 4.1% in 2010–11 to 1.7% in 2011–12. There were no statistically significant differences for any other state or territory between 2010–11 and 2011–12 for the number or rates of victims of break-in.

The number of households in South Australia that experienced motor vehicle theft decreased from 9,300 to 3,800 between the 2010–11 and 2011–12 surveys (Endnote 1). There were no statistically significant differences for any other state or territory between 2010–11 and 2011–12 for the number or rates of victims of motor vehicle theft.

There were a number of states where malicious property damage victimisation decreased over this period.

• The victimisation rate in NSW decreased from 8.2% to 7.2%.
• The victimisation rate in Queensland decreased from 7.0% to 5.9%.
• The number of victims in Tasmania decreased from 20,100 to 15,300 households and the victimisation rate decreased from 9.7% to 7.3%.
• The number of victims in the Northern Territory decreased from 10,100 to 6,800 households and the victimisation rate decreased from 15.7% to 10.3%.
• The number of victims in the ACT decreased from 19,200 to 12,600 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 13.9% to 9.1%.

There were no statistically significant differences between the 2010–11 and 2011–12 surveys for attempted break-in, theft from a motor vehicle and other theft.

Change since 2008-09
Over time, household crime victimisation in the states and territories has decreased for all of the selected crime types between the 2008–09 and 2011–12 surveys.

The number and rate of households that experienced at least one break-in in South Australia and the ACT decreased over this period.

• The number of victims in South Australia decreased from 21,100 to 15,600 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 3.2% to 2.3%.
• The number of victims in the ACT decreased from 5,500 to 2,400 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 4.2% to 1.7%.

The number and rate of households that experienced attempted break-in in NSW, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory decreased.

• The number of victims in NSW decreased from 84,400 to 52,900 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 3.2% to 1.9%.
• The number of victims in Victoria decreased from 53,300 to 37,400 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 2.6% to 1.7%.
• The number of victims in Western Australia decreased from 40,100 to 31,400 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 4.8% to 3.4%.
• The number of victims in the Northern Territory decreased from 5,000 to 3,200 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 8.1% to 4.8%.

The number and victimisation rate of households experiencing motor vehicle theft in Victoria and South Australia decreased between 2008–09 and 2011–12, while only the the victimisation rate decreased between 2008–09 and 2011–12 for New South (Endnote 1).

• The victimisation rate in NSW decreased from 1.3% to 0.8%.
• The number of victims in Victoria decreased from 21,800 to 12,100 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 1.1% to 0.6%.
• The number of victims in South Australia decreased from 7,300 to 3,800 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 1.1% to 0.6%.

There were decreases in the number and rate of households that experienced theft of property from a motor vehicle in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, while only the victimisation rate decreased for NSW over this period.

• The victimisation rate in NSW decreased from 3.9% to 3.2%.
• The number of victims in Victoria decreased from 103,400 to 82,400 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 5.1% to 3.8%.
• The number of victims in South Australia decreased from 28,200 to 20,800 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 4.3% to 3.1%.
• The number of victims in Western Australia decreased from 62,200 to 50,200 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 7.5% to 5.5%.
• The number of victims in Tasmania decreased from 7,200 to 3,900 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 3.6% to 1.9%.

The number of victims and the victimisation rate for malicious property damage declined in all states and territories.

• The number of victims in NSW decreased from 287,600 to 199,900 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 11% to 7.2%.
• The number of victims in Victoria decreased from 218,700 to 161,500 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 11% to 7.5%.
• The number of victims in Queensland decreased from 152,700 to 102,900 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 9.5% to 5.9%.
• The victimisation rate in South Australia decreased from 76,900 to 58,800 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 12% to 8.7%.
• The number of victims in Western Australia decreased from 122,100 to 92,200 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 15% to 10%.
• The number of victims in Tasmania decreased 22,100 to 15,300 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 11% to 7.3%.
• The number of victims in the Northern Territory decreased from 12,100 to 6,800 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 20% to 10%.
• The number of victims in the ACT decreased from 20,300 to 12,600 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 15% to 9.1%.

Victimisation for other types of theft (see Glossary for full definition) in NSW, South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland decreased.

• The number of victims in New South Wales decreased from 105,700 to 75,900 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 4.0% to 2.7%.
• The victimisation rate in Queensland decreased from 4.4% to 3.3%.
• The number of victims in South Australia decreased from 31,600 to 21,700 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 4.9% to 3.2%.
• The number of victims in Western Australia decreased from 44,000 to 33,400 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 5.3% to 3.7%.
• The number of victims in the Northern Territory decreased from 5,100 to 2,700 households, and the victimisation rate decreased from 8.2% to 4.0%.
  

NUMBER OF INCIDENTS

Change since 2010-11
The number of incidents of other types of theft increased from 403,400 incidents in 2010–11 to 488,100 incidents in 2011–12.

The number of incidents of break-in, attempted break-in, motor vehicle theft, theft from a motor vehicle and malicious property damage did not change significantly over this period.

Change since 2008-09
The number of incidents of the majority of selected household crime types decreased from 2008–09 to 2011–12. There was no statistically significant change for break-in or other types of theft over this period.

• Attempted break-in decreased from 363,100 incidents to 295,200 incidents.
• Motor vehicle theft decreased from 97,900 incidents to 65,600 incidents.
• Theft from a motor vehicle decreased from 461,700 incidents to 379,200 incidents.
• Malicious property damage decreased from 1.6 million incidents to 1.1 million incidents.

Experiences of Multiple Incidents

Victims of attempted break-in and other types of theft experienced more incidents of these types of crime in 2011–12 than in 2010–11. The proportion of victims who experienced three or more incidents of attempted break-in and other types of theft increased from 2010–11 to 2011–12. Nearly one in ten (9.4%) victims experienced three or more incidents of attempted break-ins in 2011–12, which was an increase from 6.0% in 2010–11. The proportion of victims who experienced three or more incidents of other types of theft also increased from 7.3% in 2010–11 to 11% in 2011–12.

REPORTING TO POLICE

National

There were no statistically significant changes in the rates of reporting to police for any of the selected types of household crime between 2010–11 and 2011–12 or between 2008–09 and 2011–12.

2008-09 to 2011-12 Rate of Reporting of Household Crimes to Police, Australia

Footnotes
(a) Other Theft includes types of theft of personal or household property not covered by the remaining crime categories (i.e. Robbery, break-in, motor vehicle theft or theft from a motor vehicle). For example, theft of property from a yard or theft of property belonging to someone in the household from someone else's house or motor vehicle.

States and Territories

Change since 2010-11
There were several changes in the rates of reporting to police for victims who experienced attempted break-in, malicious property damage and other types of theft between 2010–11 and 2011–12.

• Reporting attempted break-in to police in NSW decreased from 55% in to 38%.
• Reporting malicious property damage to police in NSW decreased from 50% to 43%.
• Reporting malicious property damage to police in the ACT decreased from 57% to 40%.
• Reporting other types of theft to police in Western Australia increased from 33% to 43%.

There were no statistically significant changes at the state and territory level for the rates of reporting break-in, motor vehicle theft and theft from a motor vehicle to police.

Change since 2008-09
There were several changes in the rates of reporting to police for break-in, attempted break-in, malicious property damage and other types of theft between 2008–09 and 2011–12.

• Reporting break-in to the police in Victoria increased from 73% to 85%.
• Reporting break-in to police in Western Australia increased from 79% to 88%.
• Reporting attempted break-in to police in South Australia decreased from 44% to 27%.
• Reporting attempted break-in to police in Tasmania decreased from 46% to 27%.
• Reporting malicious property damage to police in Western Australia increased from 44% to 55%.
• Reporting other types of theft to police in Tasmania increased from 29% to 46%.

There were no statistically significant changes over this period in the rates of reporting to police for motor vehicle theft and theft from a motor vehicle for any state or territory.

Endnote

1. Changes were made to question wording from the 2011-12 surveys to clarify the exclusion of business vehicles and to filter out any reports of theft of other vehicles from the motor vehicle theft module. The impact of these changes is not able to be quantified but may result in a decrease in the estimated number of motor vehicle thefts (and may consequently impact on the victimisation rate for motor vehicle theft).

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