Fear of crime
Note: The data and text for this section is sourced in whole or in part from the following report: Ministry of Social Development (2008), Children and Young People: Indicators of Wellbeing in New Zealand 2008. Wellington: Ministry of Social Development.
Definition
Proportion of young people aged 15 to 24 who said that fear of crime has a moderate or high impact on their life, as measured by the New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey.(1)
Relevance
Perceptions about the likelihood of criminal victimisation can be a source of anxiety and worry for young people, their family and friends. Fear of crime can also reduce young people’s freedom by causing them to alter their behaviour in an effort to keep themselves safe, e.g. by not going out at night, or not travelling alone on public transport.
Current level and trends
In 2005, 35 percent of young New Zealanders aged 15 to 24 said that fear of crime had a moderate impact on their quality of life.
A further 6 percent stated that it had a high impact, making a total of 41 percent of young people reporting a moderate or high impact.
Notes
1. Mayhew, P. and Reilly, J. (2007), The New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey 2006: Key findings. Wellington: Ministry of Justice (see link at right). Scoring took place on a 10-point scale, where 0 is no effect and 10 is total effect on quality of life. Scores of 4-7 are considered “moderate impact” and scored of 8+ are considered “high impact”.
