Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

This report analyses the main findings from the 2002 survey of secondary school pupils and a similar survey carried out among pupils excluded from mainstream secondary school education. Both surveys were carried out by Market and Opinion Research International (MORI) on behalf of the Youth Justice Board among young people aged 11 - 16 years.

Title: Mori 2002 Youth Survey
Author: Market Opinion Research International
Number of Pages: 72
Date published: March 2002
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All questionnaires were completed in interviewer-supervised, self-completion sessions. 5,167 pupils completed questionnaires in 215 schools and pupils currently excluded from mainstream schools and attending a special project completed questionnaires in 82 projects between January and March 2002.

The aims of the research were:

• To explore the prevalence of offending among young people in England and Wales, their offending behaviour and the consequences of their offending within the Youth Justice System.

• To gauge any links between truancy and offending and to also look at levels of truancy and exclusion.

• To investigate young people's alcohol and drug-taking behaviour.

• To assess young people's ethics and fears.

• To measure the proportion of young people who have been victims of crime and in particular of crimes committed by other young people.

Some of the main findings from the report include:

• There is no change in the prevalence of reported offending among mainstream pupils since last year (26%). However, offending levels among excluded pupils, which already much higher than mainstream pupils, have risen slightly by 4% to 64%.

• The profile of offenders remains consistent with previous years, still tending to be males aged 15 - 16 years of age.

• The most common offences carried out by both mainstream and excluded offenders are fare dodging, graffiti, criminal damage and shoplifting. More serious offences are the exception for the mainstream offenders, as in previous years, but are more prevalent amongst excluded offenders, particularly stealing a car, being a passenger in a stolen car and carrying a knife or gun.

• Boredom, peer pressure and being drunk are the reasons most likely for offending behaviour by both groups, and in particular young people aged 15 - 16 years.

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