KEY FINDINGS

This release presents results from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) 2016-17 national Crime Victimisation Survey, which is the ninth in the annual series.

The survey collected data via personal telephone interview about people’s experiences of crime victimisation for a range of selected personal and household crimes. The survey also collected data about selected sociodemographic characteristics of persons experiencing crime, whether they reported the most recent incident to police, and other selected characteristics of the most recent incident experienced.

PERSONAL CRIME

Victimisation rate

In the 12 months prior to interview in 2016-17, of the 19.2 million persons aged 15 years and over in Australia, an estimated:

• 2.4% (454,900) experienced at least one physical assault
• 2.6% (495,400) experienced at least one face-to-face threatened assault
• 0.9% (179,900) experienced at least one non face-to-face threatened assault
• 0.4% (72,200) experienced at least one robbery.

Of the 18.3 million persons aged 18 years and over, 0.4% (80,200) experienced at least one sexual assault.



The results from the 2016-17 survey were similar to those from the 2015-16 survey, with no significant change in the victimisation rates for personal crime.

Reporting to police

For the most recent incident in the 12 months prior to interview in 2016-17, reporting rates for personal crimes ranged from 37% (65,700) for non face-to-face threatened assault to 58% (41,900) for robbery.



The results from the 2016-17 survey were similar to those from the 2015-16 survey, with no significant change in the reporting rates for personal crime.

HOUSEHOLD CRIME

Victimisation rate

In the 12 months prior to interview in 2016-17, of the 9.1 million households in Australia, the victimisation rate ranged from 0.6% (54,600) for motor vehicle theft to 5.0% (457,800) for malicious property damage.



The results from the 2016-17 survey were similar to those from the 2015-16 survey, with no significant change in the victimisation rates for household crime.

Reporting to police

For the most recent incident in the 12 months prior to interview in 2016-17, reporting rates for household crimes ranged from 38% (95,600) for other theft to 90% (49,200) for motor vehicle theft.



The results from the 2016-17 survey were similar to those from the 2015-16 survey, with no significant change in the reporting rates for household crimes, with the exception of other theft, which decreased from 42% in 2015-16 to 38% in 2016-17.