Glossary
Abduction, harassment and other offences against the person
Acts intended to threaten or harass, or acts that unlawfully deprive another person of their freedom of movement, that are against that person's will or against the will of any parent, guardian or other person having lawful custody or care of that person. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivisions: Abduction and kidnapping (051), Deprivation of liberty/false imprisonment (052) and Harassment and threatening behaviour (053).
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
An offender who identifies as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin, or both, on at least one occasion that they are proceeded against by police during the reference period.
Acts intended to cause injury
Acts, excluding attempted murder and those resulting in death, which are intended to cause non-fatal injury or harm to another person and where there is no sexual or acquisitive element. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivisions: Assault (021) and Other acts intended to cause injury (029).
Age
Age is calculated at the earliest date a person was proceeded against by police during the reference period.
Age standardisation
Age standardisation is a statistical method that adjusts crude rates to account for age differences between study populations. Age standardisation enables better comparisons between different populations. In the context of such a comparison, the key variable of interest is the ratio of rates, rather than the age standardised rates alone (see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 33-38).
Assault
The direct (and immediate/confrontational) infliction of force, injury or violence upon a person or persons or the direct (and immediate/confrontational) threat of force, injury or violence where there is an apprehension that the threat could be enacted. This offence category is a subdivision within Division 2 Acts intended to cause injury.
Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification (ANZSOC)
The ANZSOC is a hierarchical classification developed by the ABS for use in the collection and publication of crime and justice statistics. It provides a classificatory framework for the comparison of statistics on offences across Australia and in New Zealand. Within the classificatory structure of ANZSOC, divisions represent the broadest categories of offences. The subdivision and group levels provide increasingly detailed dissections of the broad categories. The 2011 version of ANZSOC is used to classify offence data within this publication. For details of the classification hierarchy, refer to Appendix 1 For further information refer to Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification, 2011 (cat. no. 1234.0).
Blackmail and extortion
The unlawful demanding with intent to gain money, property, or any other benefit from, or with intent to cause detriment to, another person, accompanied by the use of coercive measures, to be carried out at some point in the future if the demand is not met. This may also include the use and/or threatened use of face-to-face force or violence, provided there is a threat of continued violence if the demand is not met. This offence category is a subdivision within Division 6 Robbery, extortion and related offences.
Crude offender rates
Crude offender rates are provided to give a crude rate per 100,000 population. They are calculated using the following formula:
Crude offender rates are the actual rates of offending and are not adjusted for any differences in population distributions that may influence the rates. As such, it is preferable to use age standardised rates when comparing rates of offending for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous populations.
Dangerous or negligent acts endangering persons
Dangerous or negligent acts which, though not intended to cause harm, actually or potentially result in injury to oneself or another person. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivisions: Dangerous or negligent operation of a vehicle (041) and Other dangerous or negligent acts endangering persons (049). Data relating to Subdivision 041 are not included in this publication.
Deal or traffic in illicit drugs
The supply or purchase of an illicit drug or controlled substance of any quantity, or the possession of an illicit drug or controlled substance where the amount involved is deemed to be of a quantity for commercial activity. This offence category is a subdivision within Division 10 Illicit drug offences.
Fraud, deception and related offences
Offences involving a dishonest act or omission carried out with the purpose of deceiving to obtain a benefit. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivisions: Obtain benefit by deception (091), Forgery and counterfeiting (092), Deceptive business/government practices (093) and Other fraud and deception offences (099).
Harassment and threatening behaviour
Actions that harass or are intended to harass, threaten or invade the privacy of an individual, not amounting to an assault, sexual assault, stalking, blackmail or extortion. The action can be face-to-face, written, or made through a carriage service (e.g. phone, computer, etc.). This offence category is a subdivision within Division 5 Abduction, harassment and other offences against the person.
Homicide and related offences
Unlawfully kill, attempt to unlawfully kill or conspiracy to kill another person. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivisions: Murder (011), Attempted murder (012) and Manslaughter and driving causing death (013).
Illicit drug offences
The possessing, selling, dealing or trafficking, importing or exporting, manufacturing or cultivating of drugs or other substances prohibited under legislation. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivisions: Import or export illicit drugs (101), Deal or traffic in illicit drugs (102), Manufacture or cultivate illicit drugs (103), Possess and/or use illicit drugs (104) and Other illicit drug offences (109).
Manufacture or cultivate illicit drugs
Actions resulting or intended to result in either the manufacture of controlled substances, or growing of plants used to make illicit drugs. This offence category is a subdivision in Division 10 Illicit drug offences.
Mean
The arithmetic average.
Median
The middle value of a set of values when the values are sorted in order.
Method of proceeding
The method of proceeding describes the type of legal action (court or non-court) initiated by police against a person as a result of an investigation of an offence(s). For details of the classification hierarchy, refer to Appendix 3.
Miscellaneous offences
Offences involving the breach of statutory rules or regulations governing activities that are prima facie legal, where such offences are not explicitly dealt with under any other division of ANZSOC. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivisions: Defamation, libel and privacy offences (161), Public health and safety offences (162), Commercial/industry/financial regulation (163) and Other miscellaneous offences (169).
Motor vehicle theft
The taking of another person's motor vehicle illegally and without permission, with the intent of temporarily or permanently depriving the owner/possessor of the use of the motor vehicle. Additionally, the taking of another person's motor vehicle parts or its contents illegally, whether or not this also involves the taking of the motor vehicle. A motor vehicle is defined as any self-propelled vehicle that runs on the land surface and is eligible for registration for use on public roads. This includes, but is not limited to: car, motorcycle, motorised caravan/campervan, truck, lorry, tractor, bus, grader, etc. This offence category is a subdivision within Division 8 Theft and related offences.
National Offence Index (NOI)
The National Offence Index is a seriousness ranking of the ANZSOC codes and is used to determine a principal offence where a person is proceeded against for more than one offence type during the reference period. Offences are allocated a ranking and the highest ranking offence (i.e. the offence closest to 1) is selected as the principal offence. The 2009 version of the NOI has been used for this publication. For details of the Index refer to Appendix 2 or National Offence Index, 2009 (cat. no. 1234.0.55.001).
Non-assaultive sexual offences
Offences of a sexual nature, or intent thereof, against another person that do not involve physical contact with the person and where the person does not give consent, gives consent as a result of intimidation or deception, or consent is proscribed (i.e. the person is legally deemed incapable of giving consent because of youth, temporary/permanent (mental) incapacity or there is a familial relationship). This offence category is a subdivision within Division 3 Sexual assault and related offences.
Non-Indigenous
Offenders who identify as neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander origin.
Not stated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status
Where the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status of the offenders is not able to be identified, therefore status is unknown.
Offence
Any act or omission by a person or persons for which a penalty could be imposed by the Australian legal system.
Offences against justice procedures, government security and government operations
An act or omission that is deemed to be prejudicial to the effective carrying out of justice procedures or any government operations. This includes general government operations as well as those specifically concerned with maintaining government security. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivisions: Breach of custodial order offences (151), Breach of community-based orders (152), Breach of violence and non-violence orders (153), Offences against government operations (154), Offences against government security (155) and Offences against justice procedures (156). Breach of bail offences (ANZSOC group 1523) are excluded from the data in this publication.
Offender
A person aged 10 years or over who is proceeded against and recorded by police for one or more criminal offences. An offender is only counted once during the reference period irrespective of the number of offences committed or the number of separate occasions that police proceeded against that offender.
Offender rates
Offender rates are expressed as the number of offenders per 100,000 of the relevant Estimated Resident Population (ERP). See paragraphs 26-29 of the Explanatory Notes.
Other acts intended to cause injury
Acts involving the indirect and non-confrontational infliction of harm, injury or violence upon a person. This offence category is a subdivision within Division 2 Acts intended to cause injury.
Police proceeding
A proceeding is a legal action initiated against an alleged offender for an offence(s). Police proceedings represent a count for each separate occasion on which police initiate a legal action against an offender. Each proceeding is classified to a principal offence and principal method of proceeding. It does not represent a count of offences.
Police proceedings - court actions
A type of legal action initiated by police against an offender. Court actions largely comprise the laying of charges against an alleged offender that must be answered in court. Offenders may be taken into custody, granted bail or issued with a summons for these charges pending an appearance in court.
Police proceedings - non-court actions
A type of legal action initiated by police against an offender. Non-court actions comprise legal actions such as informal or formal cautions/warnings, conferencing, counselling such as drug diversionary schemes, or the issuing of penalty or infringement notices, which do not require an appearance in court.
Principal method of proceeding
The main legal action (court or non-court) initiated by police for an offender based on the hierarchy of the Method of Proceeding Classification (see Appendix 3).
Principal offence
The offence category, based on ANZSOC, that describes the most serious offence type that a person has been proceeded against by police during the reference period. The principal offence is determined by the rankings in the NOI (see National Offence Index).
Prohibited and regulated weapons and explosives offences
Offences involving prohibited or regulated weapons and explosives. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivisions: Prohibited weapons/explosives offences (111) and Regulated weapons/explosives offences (112).
Property damage and environmental pollution
The wilful and unlawful destruction, damage or defacement of public or private property, or the pollution of property or a definable entity held in common by the community. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivisions: Property damage (121) and Environmental pollution (122).
Public order offences
Offences involving personal conduct that involves, or may lead to, a breach of public order or decency, or that is indicative of criminal intent, or that is otherwise regulated or prohibited on moral or ethical grounds. In general these offences do not involve a specific victim or victims; however some offences, such as offensive language and offensive behaviour, may be directed towards a single victim. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivisions: Disorderly conduct (131), Regulated public order offences (132) and Offensive conduct (133).
Ratio
A way of concisely showing the relationship of one quantity relative to another.
Robbery
The unlawful taking of property, with intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property, from the immediate possession, control, custody or care of a person, accompanied by the use, and/or threatened use, of immediate force or violence. This offence category is a subdivision within Division 6 Robbery, extortion and related offences.
Robbery, extortion and related offences
Acts intended to unlawfully gain money, property or any other thing of value from, or to cause detriment to, another person by using the threat of force or any other coercive measure. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivisions: Robbery (061) and Blackmail and extortion (062).
Sexual assault
Physical contact, or intent of contact, of a sexual nature directed towards another person where that person does not give consent, gives consent as a result of intimidation or deception, or consent is proscribed (i.e. the person is legally deemed incapable of giving consent because of youth, temporary/permanent (mental) incapacity or there is a familial relationship). This offence category is a subdivision within Division 3 Sexual assault and related offences.
Sexual assault and related offences
Acts, or intent of acts, of a sexual nature against another person, which are non-consensual or where consent is proscribed. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivisions: Sexual assault (031) and Non-assaultive sexual offences (032).
Theft and related offences
The unlawful taking or obtaining of money or goods, not involving the use of force, threat of force or violence, coercion or deception, with the intent to permanently or temporarily deprive the owner or possessor of the use of the money or goods, or the receiving or handling of money or goods obtained unlawfully. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivisions: Motor vehicle theft and related offences (081), Theft (except motor vehicles) (082), Receive or handle proceeds of crime (083) and Illegal use of property (except motor vehicles) (084).
Theft (except motor vehicles)
The unlawful taking or obtaining of money, goods, services (other than from motor vehicles) or non-motorised vehicles, without the use of force, threat of force or violence, coercion or deception, with the intent to permanently deprive the owner or possessor of the use of the money or the goods. The definition of a vehicle (other than a motor vehicle) includes but is not limited to: tram, train, ship, aircraft, vessel or any other (non-motorised) vehicle. This offence category is a subdivision within Division 8 Theft and related offences.
Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences
Offences relating to vehicles and most forms of road traffic, including offences pertaining to licensing, motor vehicle registration, roadworthiness or use of vehicles, bicycle offences and pedestrian offences. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivisions: Driving licence offences (141), Vehicle registration and roadworthiness offences (142), Regulatory driving offences (143) and Pedestrian offences (144). Data for this division are not presented in this publication.
Unlawful entry with intent/burglary, break and enter
The unlawful entry of a structure with the intent to commit an offence, where the entry is either forced or unforced. This is a division of ANZSOC which includes the following subdivision: Unlawful entry with intent/burglary, break and enter (071).
Youth offenders
Alleged offenders aged 10 to 19 years proceeded against by police during the reference period.
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