Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Presented by Karen Mihorean, Statistics Canada UNECE-UNODC meeting on Crime Statistics, January 2006 Vienna, Austria
Survey Content
Core content
Used to monitor long term social trends.
Focus content
Used to provide information on current or emerging issues or social problems.
Classification
Allows one to examine how certain segments of the population are affected by the social trend being measured.
Survey content
Fear Perceptions of the justice system Precautionary measures Criminal victimization Spousal violence Stalking Hate-motivated crime
Perceptions of crime
Two general questions
Comparing crime levels in their neighbourhood to others in their area. Has changed in their neighbourhood.
Perceptions of crime
Ask how often they partake in the activity. If they never or seldom do these activities, they are asked:
If you felt safer from crime, would you walk alone/use public transportation (more often)?
Perception of the sentences handed down in court. Contact with Canadian criminal courts.
Do you think that the parole system does a good job, an average job or a poor job of:
Releasing offenders who are not likely to commit another offence; Supervising offenders.
Weapon How assaulted How threatened Injury Medical attention Take time off Alcohol/Drug related Number of offenders
Sex & age of offender Relationship to offender Hate motivated Anything stolen/damaged Compensation Difficulty carrying out activities Police why/why not Formal/informal supports Victim-offender mediation How affected
Spousal violence
Since 1999 part of the core content. Emotional and financial abuse:
Limits contact with family and friends; Puts you down or calls you names to make you feel bad; Jealous and doesnt want you to talk to other men/women; Harms, or threatens to harm, someone close to you; Demands to know who you are with and where you are at all times. Damages or destroys your possessions or property; Prevents you from knowing about or having access to family income, even when you ask.
Spousal violence
During the past 5 years has your current/previous spouse/partner
Threatened to hit you with his/her fist or anything else that could have hurt you? Thrown anything at you that could have hurt you? Pushed, grabbed, or shoved you in a way that could have hurt you? Slapped you? Kicked you, bit you, or hit you with his/her fist? Hit you with something that could have hurt you? Beaten you? Choked you? Used or threatened to use a gun or knife on you? Forced you into any unwanted sexual activity , by threatening you, holding you down, or hurting you in some way?
Abuse report
Physical injury by type of injury Sought medical attention, hospitalization Stay in bed/Take time off Partners alcohol use Anyone else harmed or threatened, including kids Children witnessed violence Fear for life Compensation Police intervention - why reported or not, satisfaction with actions Restraining orders Use of informal and formal supports (reason not used) Victim-offender mediation Emotional impact of violence
Stalking
Phoned you repeatedly or made silent or obscene phone calls? Followed you or spied on you? Waited outside your home? Waited outside your place of work or school or other places you were, when they had no business being there? Sent you unwanted e-mail messages? Sent you unwanted gifts, letters, or cards? Persistently asked you for a date and refused to take no for an answer? Tried to communicate with you against your will in any other way? Did you fear for your safety or the safety of someone known to you?
Stalking continued
Has anyone attempted to intimidate or threaten you by threatening or intimidating someone else? Has anyone attempted to intimidate or threaten you by hurting your pet(s) or damaging your property? Details Length, physical attack, sex of perpetrator, relationship to victim, changed behavior, fear, support, police contact (why/why not), restraining orders, satisfaction with justice system.
Conclusion
Since 1988 the GSS on Victimization has undergone major transformation.
Improving existing measures. Adding new survey content.
80% response rate. Data widely disseminated through a number of reports. Gaps
Fraud Frequency of the survey.