English summary of Brå report 2013:3. Crime and problem behaviours among year-nine youth in Sweden

Transcription

1 English summary of Brå report 2013:3 Crime and problem behaviours among year-nine youth in Sweden Results from the Swedish School Survey on Crime

2 Crime and problem behaviours among year-nine youth in Sweden Results from the Swedish School Survey on Crime English summary of Brå report no 2013:3

3 The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå) centre for knowledge about crime and crime prevention measures. The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå) works to reduce crime and improve levels of safety in society by producing data and disseminating knowledge on crime and crime prevention work. This report is a summary of the Swedish report Brott bland ungdomar i årskurs nio, report no 2013:3. The Swedish report can be ordered from Brottsförebyggande rådet, info@bra.se Production: The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå) Box 1386, SE Stockholm, Sweden Tel: +46 (0) , fax: +46 (0) info@bra.se Brå on the internet: Author: Jonas Ring 2013 Brottsförebyggande rådet (Brå) URN:NBN:SE:BRA-518

4 Contents Summary 5 References 10 Appendix 11 Crime and problem behaviours 11 Description of questions in the crime scale 15 Victimisation 16

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6 Summary This study is based on nationally representative self-report surveys of theft, violence and other problem behaviours (such as truancy and drug use) among school students in year nine (mean age 15 years). The surveys were conducted every second year between 1995 and 2005, and the periodicity of the survey was then shifted to every third year. The most recent survey was conducted in Sweden is thus one of only a few European countries that is able to describe trends in juvenile delinquency in this age-group other than by means of crime statistics alone. The studies provide a basis for studying the prevalence of participation in crime and problem behaviours during the period The objectives of the study are: to describe the prevalence of crime and other problem behaviours among girls and boys in year nine and to describe trends over time in the proportions of students who report participation in crime and other problem behaviours on the basis of comparisons of the data collected in all eight waves of the survey to illustrate the extent to which students are victims of theft and acts of violence. On the basis of these objectives, the study can contribute with knowledge on the nature and structure of crime among young people. The survey and the sample The surveys are based on systematic samples of Swedish compulsory schools with pupils in year nine. The pupils in the selected schools anonymously fill in a questionnaire during lesson time. The questionnaire contains a number of questions about whether the youths have engaged in any of a broad range of criminal acts or other problem behaviours. It also includes questions about the pupils social situation, family, peer relations, leisure time activities and attitudes towards crime. The 2011 sample comprised a total of 119 schools, 376 classes and 8,301 pupils. Of these, 133 schools (95%) and 347 (92%) of the selected classes agreed to participate in the survey. Data were collected from a total of 6,490 students, giving a total non-response rate of 22 percent among the pupils. Between 5,300 and 8,200 students have responded to the questionnaire during the different waves of the survey. The total non-response rate has varied between 5 percent in 1995 and 22 percent in Based on the number of students in the participating classes, the non-response rate has ranged from 5 percent in 1995 to 15 percent in Participation in crime and problem behaviours The most recent survey (2011) reveals that it is relatively common for youths to engage in some type of theft, such as shoplifting or a theft from school or from their own home, on at least one occasion. 2 Almost half of the respondents stated 1 The non-response rate has been higher during the 2000s than it was during the 1990s. The differences in the level of non-response mean that some degree of caution is required when making comparisons between the different waves of the survey, since the non-response may have affected the results to some extent. An analysis has indicated, however, that the major tendencies noted in the material would have been the same if all members of the sample had completed the questionnaire. 2 Refer to the appendix for statistical tables. 5

7 that they had committed at least one theft-related act during the previous twelve months. Similarly, problem behaviours such as alcohol consumption, fare dodging and truancy are also relatively common. Approximately four out of ten respondents report having drunk to the point of feeling intoxicated, four out of ten report having engaged in fare dodging and three out of ten had played truant. More serious thefts, and acts involving serious violence against the person are less common, as is having tried drugs. In total, approximately ten percent of youths have engaged in serious violence against the person or tried drugs respectively. On the whole, it does not appear to be unusual for youths to occasionally commit an offence of some kind, but few of them have committed a large number of offences. It has been estimated that approximately ten percent of young people are together responsible for around two thirds of the offences committed by youths. Generally speaking, those who have committed offences involving violence or drugs have also committed acts of theft and vandalism. Boys report having committed offences more often than girls. The difference in the proportions of males and females who report some level of offending is relatively small however for the more prevalent offence types and problem behaviours. Twenty percent of the males and sixteen percent of the females who participated in the most recent survey report having engaged in shoplifting. The difference between the sexes becomes more marked the more serious or uncommon the type of behaviour in question. Drug use, which is relatively evenly distributed among males and females, constitutes an exception to this general rule. As regards alcohol use, a somewhat larger proportion of girls than boys report having drunk to the point of feeling intoxicated (46 percent as compared with 40 percent). A similar portion of girls and boys have truanted (36 percent as compared with 33 percent). A comparison of the boys and girls from the 2011 survey who reported that they had engaged in behaviour in the categories of theft-related acts, vandalism, violence against the person or drug use over the previous 12 months reveals that: 48 percent of boys and 43 percent of girls had committed a theft-related act 30 percent of boys and 21 percent of girls had committed some form of vandalism offence 9 percent of boys and 3 percent of girls had committed an act involving violence against the person 8 percent of boys and 6 percent of girls had used or sold drugs. Fewer respondents report having committed offences The results of the study indicate that involvement in crime among year nine students declined between 1995 and the first years of the 2000s at the national level. There may be regional variations in the nature of this trend (Brå 2007:30). The decline was greater among boys than among girls. The proportion of students who had committed at least one of the theftrelated acts included in the study declined from 66 percent in 1995 to 45 percent in The proportion reporting involvement in thefts decreased most in the late 1990s, remained fairly stable during the 2000s and then declined again in the 2011 survey. For example, 37 percent of respondents in 1995, 22 percent in 2005, 24 percent in 2008 and 18 percent in 2011 reported that they had shoplifted during the previous 12 months. The trend in the proportion of students who report having stolen something from school follows a similar pattern: a small increase from 26 percent in 2005 to 29 percent in 2008, followed by a decrease to 20 percent in

8 The proportion of students who reported having committed one of the types of vandalism covered by the study declined from 46 percent in 1995 to 25 percent in The proportion of respondents who had intentionally damaged lamp posts or other objects decreased from 32 percent to 16 percent. The corresponding figure ranged between 22 percent and 24 percent during the 2000s. The proportion of respondents who had engaged in non-mural graffiti has declined from 32 percent to 17 percent in The decrease in 2011 compared to the prior two surveys was relatively small. The corresponding proportions were 18 percent in 2005 and 21 percent in The proportion of respondents who had committed any of the acts of violence against a person covered by the study remained stable at around 10 percent until the most recent (2011) survey, when it declined somewhat, to 6 percent. Four percent of students in the most recent survey reported that they had struck someone so severely during the past twelve months that they believed or knew the victim had required medical attention. The corresponding figure was 6 percent in the four preceding surveys. The proportion of respondents who reported having carried a knife declined from 16 percent in 1995 to 10 percent in 2008 and 8 percent in As regards drug-related offences, the results do not indicate any consistent declines or increases during the period covered by the surveys. The proportion who report having tried or having possessed drugs has varied between 7 and 9 percent in the various waves of the survey (7 percent in the most recent wave). The proportions reporting having engaged in fare dodging have ranged between 40 percent and 45 percent during the period covered by the surveys (45 percent in 2011). The proportion of respondents who report not having engaged in any of the offences included in the questionnaire has become somewhat larger over time. Further, the results indicate that the proportion of students who report having committed large numbers of offences has declined between 1995 and This tendency appears to be true irrespective of the respondents socio-demographic background, as measured in terms of whether the parents were employed, whether they lived together and whether the respondents have a Swedish or overseas background. Victimisation The proportion of respondents reporting that a bicycle, wallet or other valuable possession had been stolen from them (at some point during the twelve month period prior to the survey) has declined somewhat between 1995 and Having remained stable at a level of around 30 percent, this proportion declined to just under 26 percent in The proportion of youths who report having been the victim of serious violence (requiring them to visit a nurse, doctor or dentist) has been around 5 6 percent in each wave of the survey (4.5 percent 2011). Between 22 and 24 percent of respondents in the surveys between 1999 and 2008 reported that they had been the victim of less serious violence, while this proportion decreased to 16 percent in The 2011 survey shows that: 17 percent of boys and 12 percent of girls have been the victim of bicycle theft 3 percent of both girls and boys have had a wallet/purse stolen 15 percent of boys and 14 percent of girls have been the victim of some other type of theft 7

9 11 percent of girls and 8 percent of boys have been threatened in a way that led them to feel frightened 5 percent of boys and 4 percent of girls have been the victim of serious violence 19 percent of boys and 14 percent of girls have been the victim of less serious violence Social relations, attitudes and crime In addition to asking about crime, the study also includes questions on attitudes, leisure time activities, adjustment at school and other factors. On the basis of the questionnaire responses, a series of different variables and summary scales have been created. Analyses of the 2011 data indicate that delinquent behaviour is correlated with a number of factors. The results suggest that students who report higher levels of involvement in crime typically lead an outgoing lifestyle and spend a great deal of time with their friends. As a rule, their circle of friends includes others who commit offences. Drinking alcohol and truancy also often constitute part of the picture. Interest in school and good grades are as a rule less pronounced than among other students. These respondents tend to prefer activities that involve excitement and they are more likely to have low levels of selfcontrol. They are also more likely than the average respondent to report having a poor relationship with their parents. Their parents also often seem to have little knowledge of what their children are up to or which friends they meet (according to the youths themselves). Finally, permissive attitudes towards crime and delinquency are much more common among these students than among others. The analyses indicate that the factors that are comparatively the most strongly correlated with criminal involvement are factors that measure the respondents attitudes towards crime and delinquency, in addition to a variable that measures the level of peer delinquency. Furthermore, risk factors that are correlated with offending are also correlated with a summary scale comprised of a number of questions about how the respondents believe that they would act if they found themselves in various situations that provide an opportunity to commit certain types of offences. Youths with high risk scores more often state that they would commit the offences in question if they had the opportunity to do so. Trends in social factors and attitudes The report presents the participants responses to a number of questions related to attitudes, friends, leisure time activities, relationships with parents and adjustment at school. The results indicate that attitudes towards shoplifting, truancy, intoxication, graffiti and car theft have on average become less permissive and more disapproving since the mid to late 1990s. 3 The proportion of respondents who express disapproval of the use of hash has remained more stable. The results of the study show that the proportion of students reporting that a friend had shoplifted, damaged something or committed burglary declined somewhat between 1995 and The proportion of respondents who spent at least five nights a week with friends has declined throughout the period, while the proportion who rarely met their friends in the evening has increased. The proportion of students who report having gone to a youth club has declined significantly, as has the proportion who report having been to billiard halls, video game or pinball arcades, discotheques or parties. Alcohol consumption appears to have de- 3 For example, the proportion of students who responded that it would be totally okay or fairly okay with them if their friends were to engage in shoplifting declined from 27 percent in 1997 to 17 percent in

10 clined: the proportion of respondents who had become intoxicated more than five times has decreased, while the proportion who had not become intoxicated at all increased from 47 percent in 2008 to 57 percent in While only a couple of the surveys have asked about the amount of time spent online, the results suggest that this has increased. When asked whether their parents knew where they were at night and whom they were with, the proportion of students stating that this was always the case has increased during the period covered by the surveys. Further, the proportion of respondents reporting that they go out with their parents to the cinema or to engage in some other fun activity at least twice a month has gradually increased during this period. Most students have consistently stated (on a five-point scale) that they mostly enjoy being in school. The proportion stating that they always enjoy being in school has steadily increased over time however. There has also been a gradual increase in the proportion of students who think that most or all of their teachers are good. Finally, there have also been changes with regard to levels of truancy. The proportion of respondents who had played truant from school at least once during the past 12 months first declined from 44 percent in 1995 to 36 percent in 2005, then rose to 39 percent in 2008, before declining once again to 34 percent in It is difficult to state which specific factors may have had a greater or lesser effect on the trend in criminal involvement among young people. A closer examination of these questions would require more detailed analyses. All in all, however, the results suggest that there are a number of changes that have contributed to a general decline in level of involvement in crime among youths in this age group. 9

11 References Brottsförebyggande rådet (2007). Youth and crime in the Swedish counties English summary of Brå report No 2007:30. Stockholm: Brottsförebyggande rådet. Brottsförebyggande rådet (2010) Crime and problem behaviours among yearnine youth in Sweden. Result from the Swedish School Survey on Crime English summary of Brå report 2010:6. Stockholm. Brottsförebyggande rådet. 10

12 Appendix Crime and problem behaviours Table 1. Prevalence of different types of crime and other problem behaviours among ninth grade youth (last 12 months). All respondents. Percent. Theft from school Shoplifting Theft from home Other theft Deceived to obtain money Bought something stolen Bicycle theft Sold something stolen Burglary Pick-pocketing Theft from vending machine Theft from car Theft of motorcycle/moped Car theft All theft offences Excluding theft from school, home or deceiving to obtain money Carried a knife Hit someone seriously (non family member) Threats to obtain valuables Injured with a weapon Hit family member seriously Bag snatching All violence-related offences All violent offences excluding carrying a knife Vandalism Non-mural graffiti Fire-setting Mural graffiti All criminal damage Smoked hash/marijuana Used other drugs Sold hash/marijuana Sold other drugs All drug offences All drug use Fare-dodging Driving without a license Used false ID-card All other offences Smoking Using snuff Smoking or using snuff Alcohol intoxication Solvent abuse Truancy All problem behaviours

13 Table 2. Boys. Prevalence of different types of crime and other problem behaviour (last 12 months). Percent. Theft from school Shoplifting Theft from home Other theft Deceived to obtain money Bought something stolen Bicycle theft Sold something stolen Burglary Pick-pocketing Theft from vending machine Theft from car Theft of motorcycle/moped Car theft All theft offences Excluding theft from school, home or deceiving to obtain money Carried a knife Hit someone seriously (non family member) 5.9 Threats to obtain valuables Injured with a weapon Hit family member seriously Bag snatching All violence-related offences All violent offences excluding carrying a knife Vandalism Non-mural graffiti Fire-setting Mural graffiti All criminal damage Smoked hash/marijuana Used other drugs Sold hash/marijuana Sold other drugs All drug offences All drug use Fare-dodging Driving without a licence Used false ID-card All other offences Smoking Using snuff Smoking or using snuff Alcohol intoxication Solvent abuse Truancy All problem behaviours

14 Table 3. Girls. Prevalence of different types of crime and other problem behaviours (last 12 months). Percent. Theft from school Shoplifting Theft from home Other theft Deceived to obtain money Bought something stolen Bicycle theft Sold something stolen Burglary Pick-pocketing Theft from vending machine Theft from car Theft of motorcycle/moped Car theft All theft offences Excluding theft from school, home or deceiving to obtain money Carried a knife Hit someone seriously (non family member) Threats to obtain valuables Injured with a weapon Hit family member seriously Bag snatching All violence-related offences All violent offences excluding carrying a knife Vandalism Non-mural graffiti Fire-setting Mural graffiti All criminal damage Smoked hash/marijuana Tried other drugs Sold hash/marijuana Sold other drugs All drug offences All drug use Fare-dodging Driving without a licence Used false ID-card All other offences Smoking Using snuff Smoking or using snuff Alcohol intoxication Solvent abuse Truancy All problem behaviours

15 Table 4. Categorisation of levels of criminal activity last 12 months (based on the restrictive crime scale). 4 All respondents. Percent. n Never times times times times > 75 times Table 5. Boys. Categorisation of criminal activity last 12 months (based on the restrictive crime scale). Percent. N Never times times times times > 75 times Table 6. Girls. Categorisation of criminal activity last 12 months (based on the restrictive crime scale). Percent. n Never times times times times > 75 times An index based on 24 questions relating to different illegal behaviours. See below for the questions included in the scale. The frequencies were summed using the lowest value for each response alternative to the various questions, generating a minimum estimate of the total number of acts for each student in a particular crime category. For example, a student who stated that they had stolen a bicycle 3-5 times and shoplifted 6-10 times was assigned 3+6=9 criminal acts. 14

16 Description of questions in the crime scale Criminal activity (the restrictive crime scale) How many times have you done the following things over the past 12 months? Intentionally damaged a phone booth, lamp post, window, bicycle or something else that did not belong to you? Stolen (shoplifted) something from a shop or store? Used a false ID? Deceived someone to obtain valuables? Stolen money from a pay phone or vending machine? Stolen a bicycle? Stolen a motorcycle or moped? Stolen a car? Stolen something out of a car? Stolen something from somebody s pocket? Snatched a bag, wallet or something similar from somebody you didn t know? Stolen something else that we have not asked about? Broken into a house, apartment or other building? Bought something that you knew was stolen? Sold something that you knew was stolen? Carried a knife (as a weapon) when you went out? Threatened to hit someone or use a weapon in order to obtain money or other valuables? Set fire without permission to something valuable a barn, car, forest, building, etc. that didn t belong to you. Intentionally hit somebody (who wasn t a family member) so that you think or know he or she needed medical attention? Intentionally injured somebody with a knife or other weapon? Smoked hash or marijuana? Tried other drugs (amphetamines, heroin, ecstasy or something similar)? Sold hash or marijuana? Sold other drugs? Response alternatives: never, 1 2 times, 3 5 times, 6 10 times, 11 or more times 15

17 Victimisation Table 7. Prevalence of victimisation (last 12 months). All respondents. Percent. Bicycle theft Wallet theft Other theft Theft (total) Serious violence Less serious violence* Serious threat Threats or violence (total) Total: Victimisation by theft, threats or violence *The question about less serious violence was reworded between 1997 and 1999, which may have contributed to the shift in the level of minor violence reported. Table 8. Boys. Prevalence of victimisation (last 12 months). Percent. Bicycle theft Wallet theft Other theft Theft (total) Serious violence Less serious violence* Serious threat Threats or violence (total) Total: Victimisation by theft, threats or violence *The question about less serious violence was reworded between 1997 and 1999, which may have contributed to the shift in the level of minor violence reported. Table 9. Girls. Prevalence of victimisation (last 12 months). Percent. Bicycle theft Wallet theft Other theft Theft (total) Serious violence Less serious violence* Serious threat Threats or violence (total) Total: Victimisation by theft, threats or violence *The question about less serious violence was reworded between 1997 and 1999, which may have contributed to the shift in the level of minor violence reported. 16