Youth Crime
The victimisation of young people: findings from the Crime and Justice Survey 2003
This Crime and Justice Survey examines the extent and nature of youth victimisation. It focuses on the experiences of personal crime among those aged 10 to 19.
Title: The victimisation of young people: findings from the Crime and Justice Survey 2003
Author: Martin Wood
Series: Home Office Findings 246
Date published: January 2005
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Key findings
Over 35% of young people aged 10 to 15 had experienced at least one personal crime in the previous 12 months. This was about the same level as for those aged 16 to 25 (32%) and well above those aged 26 to 65 (14%).
Theft from the person was highest for 18 and 19 year olds (12%), while robbery was most common for 16-19 year olds with 6% being a victim of robbery in the last 12 months. Those aged 10 to 11 years were more likely to experience other thefts of personal property, such as thefts from changing rooms (16%).
Money was the main target of thefts (28% of victims), while mobile phones were the target for 25% of victims followed by stationery (20%) and bicycles (11%).
21% of 10 to 15-year-olds experienced assaults compared to 19% for 16 to 25-year-olds. Older adults were far less likely to have been victims of assault (7%).
Among 10 to 17-year-olds, 19% said they had been victims of bullying. Those aged 10 to 11 were significantly more likely to be victims within this group (27% compared with 9% of 16 to 17- year-olds). Females were also more likely to experience bullying (21%) than males (17%).
60% of 10 to 15-year-olds who experienced violence in the previous 12 months did so on more than one occasion. 19% had experienced 5 or more violent incidents in the previous 12 months.
Those young people that had committed an offence themselves were more likely to be victims. Other underlying risk factors were the presence of anti-social behaviour in their local area, being male and committing anti-social behaviour.
There was no difference in the level of overall personal crime victimisation between young people in different ethnic groups. Within specific types of crime, white young people were more likely to have been victims of assault than black and minority ethnic young people but were less likely to have been victims of robbery.
Last update: Wednesday, September 17, 2008