British Crime Survey, 2009-2010

Abstract

<p>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</p><i>Background</i>:<br> The <i>Crime Survey for England and Wales</i> (CSEW), previously known as the <i>British Crime Survey</i> (BCS), has been in existence since 1981. The survey traditionally asks a sole randomly selected adult, in a random sample of households, details pertaining to any instances where they, or the household, has been a victim of a crime in the previous 12 months. These are recorded in the victim form data file (VF). A wide range of questions are then asked covering demographics and crime-related subjects such as attitudes to the police and the criminal justice system (CJS). Most of the questionnaire is completed in a face-to-face interview in the respondent's home; these variables are contained within the non-victim form (NVF) data file. Since 2009, the survey has been extended to children aged 10-15 years old; one resident of that age range has also been selected at random from the household and asked about incidents where they have been a victim of crime, and other related topics. The first set of children's data, covering January-December 2009, had experimental status, and is held separately under SN 6601. From 2009-2010, the children's data cover the same period as the adult data and are included with the main dataset. Further information may be found on the ONS <a href="http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/about-ons/get-involved/taking-part-in-a-survey/information-for-households/a-to-z-of-household-and-individual-surveys/crime-survey-for-england---wales/index.html" title="Crime Survey for England and Wales">Crime Survey for England and Wales</a> webpage and for the previous BCS, from the GOV.UK <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/british-crime-survey-methodology" title="BCS Methodology">BCS Methodology</a> webpage.<br> <br> <i>Self-completion data</i><br> A series of questions on drinking behaviour, drug use, self-offending, gangs and personal security, and intimate personal violence (IPV) (including stalking and sexual victimisation) are administered to adults via a self-completion module which the respondent completes on a laptop computer. Children aged 10-15 years also complete a separate self-completion questionnaire. The questions are contained within the main questionnaire documents, but the data are not available with the main survey; they are available only under Special Licence/Secure Access conditions. See Access section for further details.<br> <br> <i>Geographic variables</i>:<br> From 2008-2009, low-level geographic variables are available under Special Licence conditions to match to the survey/ From 2011-2012 onwards, further lower-level geographic variables are also available, subject to Secure Access conditions.<br> <br> <i>History</i>:<br> Up to 2001, the survey was conducted biennially. From April 2001, interviewing was carried out continually and reported on in financial year cycles and the crime reference period was altered to accommodate this change. The core sample size has increased from around 11,000 in the earlier cycles to over 46,000 up until 2011/12 where it was then reduced to 35,000. Following the National Statistician's Review of Crime Statistics in June 2011 the collation and publication of Crime Statistics moved to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) from 1st April 2012, and the survey changed its name to the <i>Crime Survey for England and Wales</i> (CSEW) accordingly. <br> <br> <i>Scottish data</i>:<br> The 1982 and 1988 BCS waves were also conducted in Scotland. The England and Wales data for 1982 and 1988 are held at the UKDA under SNs 1869 and 2706, but the Scottish data for these studies are held separately under SNs 4368 and 4599. Since 1993, separate <i>Scottish Crime and Justice Surveys</i> have been conducted, and these are held under GN 33330.<br> <br><i>Variable 'PFA' (Police Force Area):</i><br> From 2008-2009 onwards, the BCS variable 'PFA' (Police Force Area) is now only available within the associated dataset SN 6935, <i>British Crime Survey, 2009-2010: Special Licence Access, Low-Level Geographic Data</i>, which is subject to restrictive access conditions; see 'Access' section below.<br> <br> <i>2009-2010 self-completion modules:</i><br> Data from the three adult self-completion modules on drinking behaviour, drug use, and interpersonal violence (comprising the module on domestic violence, sexual victimisation and stalking), and the children's self-completion module, are held separately under SNs 6628, 6629, 6630 and 6980 respectively. These studies are subject to restrictive Special Licence access conditions; see 'Access' section below.<br> <br> <i>User Guide:</i><br> The BCS 2009-2010 user guide is not currently available via the Documentation table below, but is contained within the study zip files available for registered users to download with the data.<br> <br> For the second edition (March 2012), non-victim form (NVF) and victim form (VF) data files for children aged 10-15 years, covering April 2009-March 2010, were added to the study, which previously included only the adult NVF and VF data. The documentation remains unchanged, as there is no separate documentation for the children's data. However, users should note that further data from the first year of children's inclusion in the BCS are also available under SN 6601; those data cover January-December 2009. The documentation from SN 6601 may therefore be useful for this study.<br> <br><B>Main Topics</B>:<br><i>Adult data</i><br> The adult data includes information from two sections of the survey, the non-victim form (NVF) and the victim form (VF).<br> <br> The NVF gathers respondent-level data: topics covered include perceptions of crime; victimisation screener questions; performance of the CJS; mobile phone, second home and bicycle crime; experiences of the police; attitudes to the CJS; crime prevention and security; ad hoc crime topics, including concern about crime and social cohesion; plastic card fraud; identity fraud; antisocial behaviour; road safety and traffic; and demographics and media.<br> <br> The VF contains offence-level data. Up to six different incidents are asked about for each respondent. Each of these constitutes a separate victim form and can be matched back to the respondent-level data through the variable ROWLABEL. Topics covered include the nature and circumstances of the incident, details of offenders, security measures, costs, emotional reactions, contact with the CJS and outcomes where known.<br> <br> Self-completion modules were also fielded to adult respondents in the 2009-2010 survey, covering drug use, drinking behaviour, and interpersonal violence (domestic violence, sexual victimisation and stalking). These modules are held as separate studies, subject to Special Licence access (see 'Access' section below).<br> <br> <i>Children's data (aged 10-15 years)</i><br> The child NVF questionnaire included: schooling and perceptions of crime; crime screener questions (personal incidents only); perceptions of and attitudes towards the police; anti-social behaviour; and crime prevention and security. The child self-completion questionnaire covered: use of the internet; personal safety; school truancy; bullying; street gangs; drinking behaviour; cannabis use; and verification questions.<br> <br> The child VF covered the nature and circumstances of the incident, series of incidents, details of offenders, weapons, injuries and medical treatment, contact with the police. <br> <br> The child self-completion form covered bullying, street gangs, carrying knives, truancy, exclusion from school, cannabis and alcohol use. The child self-completion module is also held separately and under Special Licence access conditions (see above and under 'Access' section below)