NCJ Number
83690
Date Published
1982
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This report presents statistics from 1964-65 through 1979-80 showing trends in reported crime in Australia in the following seven categories: homicide; serious assault; robbery; rape; breaking and entering; motor vehicle theft; and fraud, forgery, and false pretenses.
Abstract
For each offense, a graph shows the Australian rate per 100,000 population over the 16-year period, and another graph shows the average rates for the same period for each State and territory. Additional tables show the actual number of offenses reported together with the rates per 100,000 for each State and territory and for each offense for each of the 16 years. The tables were developed from data supplied by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. During the 16-year period, significant increases have occurred in most categories of crime in Australia. The overall crime rate in the seven categories increased from 757 per 100,000 in 1964-65 to 2,153 in 1979-80. Violent crimes constituted less than 4 percent of the offenses discussed in this report. This proportion would have been even lower if the high-volume offense of theft or larceny had been included. Australia needs a rational appraisal of the current crime problem and the identification of effective strategies for the prevention of crime. An appendix lists 10 references.