MALICIOUS PROPERTY DAMAGE

HOW MANY HOUSEHOLDS EXPERIENCED MALICIOUS PROPERTY DAMAGE IN 2017–18? (Tables 1 and 21)

During the 2017–18 reference period, an estimated 5.1% of Australian households (477,700) experienced at least one incident of malicious property damage.

The following groups were more likely to experience malicious property damage in the last 12 months:

• households in a capital city (5.4%) compared the balance of state (4.7%)
• households in the highest quintile of the Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage (6.5%) compared to households in the lowest quintile (4.3%).^{Endnote 1}

EXPERIENCE OF MULTIPLE VICTIMISATION (Table 12)

Of all households that experienced malicious property damage during the 2017-18 reference period:

• 80% (380,100) experienced a single incident
• 12% (55,700) experienced two incidents
• 8.5% (40,500) experienced three or more incidents.

WHETHER MOST RECENT INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO POLICE (Table 26)

Approximately half (52% or 247,100) of households that experienced malicious property damage had the most recent incident reported to police.

One in five households (25% or 118,600) that experienced malicious property damage did not report to police because they considered the incident too trivial or unimportant. A further 13% (59,600) believed that there was nothing the police could do.

OTHER SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF MOST RECENT INCIDENT (Table 26)

In the most recent incident of malicious property damage, exterior items were the most common type of property damaged, defaced, or destroyed (67% or 318,600), followed by a car or other motor vehicle (26% or 125,000).

ENDNOTES

Endnote 1 The Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage ranks areas on a continuum from most disadvantaged to most advantaged. Lower quintiles indicate greater levels of disadvantage and a lack of advantage in general compared to higher quintiles. For further information, see Explanatory Notes.