Repeat Victimisation

We know that retail and other businesses are more at risk of crime than households. Within this overall picture some businesses are victimized repeatedly or, in some cases, chronically.

• In the Commercial Victimisation survey 3% of all retailers accounted for 59% of all crimes and 69% of all customer thefts. 8% of manufacturers accounted for 63% of all crimes experienced.

• In the Scottish Business Crime Survey, 5% of business premises experienced 54% of all crimes. Businesses experiencing crime in 1998 had on average suffered 9 incidents in that time.

• Small businesses surveyed in Leicester had on average suffered over 5 incidents in the year in question.

• Studies show the risks of repeat burglary to be particularly high. A study in Merseyside found that 21.4% of all non-residential burglaries were repeats – a much higher level than for residential addresses.

• Victims of violence at work have a higher risk of repeat victimization than victims of non-work violence. Almost 50% of victims of violence at work were repeat victims, compared to 25% of victims of non-work violence.