New Zealand National Survey of Crime Victims 2001

• NCJ Number: 200529
• Author(s): Allison Morris; James Reilly; Sheila Berry; Robin Ransom
• Date Published: May 2003
• Length: 351 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: New Zealand Ministry of Justice
• Sale Source: New Zealand Ministry of Justice
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: New Zealand
• Note: Downloaded May 28, 2003

Annotation

This document presents the results of the New Zealand National Survey of Crime Victims (NZNSCV) for 2001.

Abstract

A random sample of the population aged 15 and over was interviewed. There were two ‘booster’ samples of Maori and Pacific people respectively. Around 5,300 people were interviewed in total. Participants were asked about the extent to which they had been the victims of offenses, the circumstances and impact of those offenses, and their response to them. The results show that there was very little change in New Zealand between 1995 and 2000 in the estimated number of victimizations, despite a slight increase in the population aged 15 or more. There were an estimated 1,779,657 household and individual victimizations during the 2000 calendar year compared to an estimated 1,786,127 household and individual victimizations during the calendar year 1995. Assaults and threats taken together made up half of all victimizations reported in the 2001 survey. Those most at risk of victimization were young people, Maori (especially women), students, beneficiaries, solo parents, those households whose main income earner had no occupation, and those living with roommates. The groups most likely to be repeat victims were women, young people, Maori, students, beneficiaries, solo parents, those households whose main income earner had no occupation, those living with roommates, and those living in rented property. The incidence rates of Pacific people were reasonably high and were noticeably higher than those for New Zealand European/European victims and victims of other ethnicities. About two-fifths of victimizations were reported to the police. The main reasons given by victims for reporting their victimization to the police were to catch or punish the offender and because a crime had been committed. The main reason given by victims for not reporting their victimization to the police was its lack of seriousness. Results suggest that most New Zealanders see their local areas as relatively safe. 7 figures, 103 tables, 2 appendices, 172 references